Stronger together: learner reactions on a team-based, interprofessional first death simulation experience

ABSTRACT

Patient death is a common experience that may be traumatic for health care providers. Although current rates of burnout are high, evidence supports that interprofessional coping can improve clinician mental health. While health care simulation affords learners freedom of safety to participate in a variety of educational experiences, current application of simulation during patient death is limited to professional duties, without explicitly addressing learner emotional well-being. We designed a patient death simulation scenario within a supportive and reflective interprofessional environment to teach foundational coping and well-being strategies to preclinical nursing, medical, and pharmacy students. Sixty-one students participated in this team-based, First Death simulation experience. Debriefings were analyzed using qualitative inductive content analysis methodology. Students reacted to being part of an interprofessional team after having participated in simulation about the death of a patient as described by five categories: emotional awareness, communication insight, feeling stronger together, with role curiosity, and through reflections on support. Findings suggested that simulation is an effective teaching modality for mentoring interprofessional students on humanistic well-being strategies. Furthermore, the experience fostered reactions transcending interprofessional competencies, which are transferrable to future clinical practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Death
• education research
• interprofessional
• simulation

Disclosure statement

The authors do not report any conflicts of interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by an award-id Interprofessional Education Seed Grant provided by the University of Illinois Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs.

Notes on contributors

Leah Burt

Dr. Leah Burt, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, CHSE is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing, as well as the Director of Educational Quality Assurance at the University of Illinois College of Medicine affiliate, Simulation and Integrative Learning (SAIL) Institute. Dr. Burt’s expertise is in educational design and mixed-methodology research within simulation-based education. By developing evidenced-based educational innovations that increase provider competency, Dr. Burt aims to improve patient health outcomes.

Lou Clark

Dr. Lou Clark, PhD, MFA is the Executive Director of M Simulation and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota (UMN). Currently, Dr. Clark leads a team of simulation professionals who deliver 40,000+ annual learner contact hours across UMN health professions programs and with external stakeholders. In addition, her research interests include simulated patient (SP) methodology and compassionate communication in health settings. Dr. Clark is the incoming President of the Association of SP Educators, (ASPE).

Christine Park

Dr. Christine Park, MD, FASA, FSSH is a Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in the Departments of Medical Education and Anesthesiology. She is the Director of the Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute (SAIL), and a Past President of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Her mission is to strengthen healthcare practice and culture through innovations bold and subtle, encouraging curiosity and creative engagement, and building global networks.