New Students Take Part in Their First Interprofessional Simulations

Midge Hobbs was on the phone, conversing as if she was a worried daughter speaking to her mother. The person on the other end of the line was a standardized patient, acting the role of the wife of a person recently diagnosed with a disease affecting the brain. The setting was a meeting of the interprofessional care team. The learners were first-year entry-level students taking part in the first simulations as part of the IMPACT practice interprofessional curriculum. 

The simulation is based on a scenario of a family newly diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. 

“These are low-stakes simulations to introduce the students to some of the foundational principals of interprofessional collaborative practice,” said Hobbs, Assistant Dean of Interprofessional Education, who directs the IMPACT practice curriculum.  “They have only been a team for a little over a week, so they are just learning how to introduce themselves, how to connect and communicate with each other, make a plan together, and connect with a client, in this case a simulated participant.”

The students started the night by meeting in their teams to choose which of them would be in the simulation and who would be in the observation room, based on the case and the professions represented on their team. They then formulated how they wanted to approach the situation before heading into the simulation and observation rooms. 

“They have to respond as a team,” explained Hobbs. “We’re trying to instill not only communication and teamwork skills but also the ability to listen respectfully to each other, to the client, to understand different perspectives and then respond in the moment to anything that comes up in the conversation with their client.”

In this case, that included figuring out what to do when the client had to stop to respond to text and phone calls from a concerned family member, as well as the emotions that the actors expressed during the simulation. 

“She is really scared, and she is worried about the diagnosis,” said Hobbs. “This gives students the opportunity to be together and respond in the moment while conveying empathy, compassion, and respect as a cohesive team.”

For these simulations to benefit students, they need simulated participants who can play the role convincingly and represent the diverse populations that health professions students will work alongside. For that, the MGH Institute turns to Tony Williams, the standardized patient manager in the Center for Interprofessional Education and Practice (CIEP). Williams hires, trains, and works with the actors to ensure they provide optimal learning opportunities for students, linking these important experiential learning activities with the IPE curriculum. 

“They need to understand the learning objective and understand what the purpose of the assignment is,” said Williams. “Many of our actors come from backgrounds where they are theater actors or screen actors where the intent is often entertainment purposes. When you help them understand that this is for educational purposes and the objectives differ a little bit, that makes a difference.”

This round of simulations fittingly took place during Healthcare Simulation Week, which celebrates the role that simulations play in improving healthcare. Regina F. Doherty, Dean of Interprofessional Education and Practice notes that simulation-based learning is globally recognized for its ability to enhance team performance, foster workforce resilience, and improve patient outcomes. 

“We are exceptionally proud of the CIEP team and IMPACT faculty who expertly manage the many moving pieces involved with IMPACT simulations,” said Doherty. “These hands-on experiences provide students with invaluable insights that directly translate into effective, team-based, and client-centered care.”

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