"You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours": Reciprocal Intraprofessional Collaboration for OB Simulation
Title: "You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours": Reciprocal Intraprofessional Collaboration for OB Simulation
- Describe rationale for intraprofessional collaboration between practicing nurses and school of nursing faculty to conduct simulation learning experiences for prelicensure students and nurses new to obstetrics.
- Discuss the sharing of clinical and pedagogical expertise and resources in developing simulation learning experiences.
- Describe benefits of intraprofessional collaboration for simulation for prelicensure students, nursing faculty, registered nurses transitioning to obstetrics, and nurse preceptors.
Simulation is a widely used educational strategy that promotes critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills. It is often integrated into nursing school curricula, but more recently, has been used by hospitals to train nursing staff. Although interprofessional simulation is a “hot topic” in education, there is minimal evidence of collaborative simulation efforts within a profession. This program demonstrates how nursing school faculty can collaborate with medical center nurses to provide enhanced simulation experiences through sharing pedagogical and clinical expertise and resources.
Proposed change:
In this intraprofessional collaborative endeavor, experienced practicing nurses from UNC Hospitals assisted faculty from the UNC School of Nursing to facilitate six simulation cases for over 100 students per semester for three semesters. In a reciprocal manner, faculty assisted these nurses and their nurse manager to run case scenarios for nurses new to obstetrics.
Implementation, outcomes and evaluation:
The UNC School of Nursing has a high fidelity simulation learning lab, which includes birthing and newborn simulators. Labor and Delivery’s nurse manager asked to use this lab because to ensure that her staff had quality training on recognizing and responding to obstetric emergencies. After visiting the lab and observing nursing students participate in simulations, the manager and several experienced nurses collaborated with faculty to enhance the content and flow of the simulation scenarios. The nurse manager arranged for equipment and supplies to be provided to the School so that the simulation setting was more realistic.
Implications for nursing practice:
Intraprofessional collaboration is a “win-win” situation for nurse educators and nursing staff. Sharing of resources and expertise provides opportunities for realistic, simulated learning experiences.
Keywords: simulation, intraprofessional, collaboration