Practicing Teamwork
The Power of Team-based Simulations in Health Professions Education
by Elaine Wescoat, PharmD, PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, Baptist Memorial Hospital - North Mississippi
I recall my initial experiences with simulation-based learning during my pharmacy school years. I collaborated with the medical students, nursing students, physical therapy (PT)/occupational therapy (OT) students, and many more health professionals during these simulations. I quickly realized how different it was from traditional classroom-based learning. Ensuring that healthcare professionals possess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide care to patients is crucial. Healthcare education is complex, but there is a disconnect between the classroom and a patient’s room. Acquiring essential knowledge in the classroom is crucial, but hands-on experiences are equally important. Traditional didactic teaching methods often lack the practical and interactive elements necessary to effectively prepare students. Simulation-based learning (SBL) can bridge the gap between the classroom and the patient’s bedside.
Simulation-based learning amplifies healthcare education by creating realistic, controlled environments where students can practice patient care skills without risking patient safety. This approach allows learners to experience the complexities and unpredictabilities of patient care, including communication challenges, team coordination, and error recognition. Research has shown that simulation-based learning not only improves technical skills, but also enhances learners’ attitudes and perceptions towards patient safety.¹ A prospective educational intervention study assessed the impact of an interprofessional, team-based learning simulation workshop aimed at improving healthcare trainees’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward patient safety. Conducted with 76 trainees comprising of 26 internal medicine residents and 50 nursing students, the workshop incorporated pre-reading materials, team readiness assurance tests, and simulations. Results revealed that mean scores on the Team Readiness Assurance Test (TRAT = 7.7 ± 1.8) were significantly higher than individual scores on the Individual Readiness Assurance Test (IRAT = 5.6 ± 1.7, p=0.001). Post-workshop, the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) showed higher scores in the subscales of Teamwork and Collaboration and the Professional Identity subscale (from before 17.4, to after 18.3, p=0.03). Over 90% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the safety concepts learned would impact their clinical practice. Additionally, 78% felt confident conducting error analysis and root cause analysis, 86% felt confident in their ability to provide proper hand-off using IPASS†, and 86% felt confident in their ability to provide a safe discharge plan.¹
Effective teamwork and communication in the healthcare setting are foundational to safety and can cost a life if not handled correctly. According to recent statistics, communication failures are among the top contributors to medical errors and adverse events in healthcare settings. The Joint Commission identifies communication breakdowns as a leading cause of sentinel events, emphasizing the importance of interprofessional collaboration in patient safety initiatives.²
Another study emphasized the importance of simulation-based team training on improving teamwork among pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) staff.³ Over a three-month period, 165 health professionals, including physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists, participated in 30 simulation sessions designed to enhance communication, role clarity, and situational awareness. Participants completed self-assessments of team performance following each simulated scenario. Additionally, the simulation facilitators rated team performance using structured assessment tools, including the Clinical Teamwork Skills (CTS) tool. These tools evaluated aspects like communication, role clarity, situational awareness, and decision-making. The results revealed a statistically significant improvement in team performance, with measurements indicating a highly effective acquisition of key teamwork behaviors (p<0.0001). Notably, the training benefited all participants, including physicians with subspecialty training, highlighting the versatility of simulation in reinforcing collaborative skills across different levels of experience. By implementing experiential learning, simulations help healthcare teams recognize and address safety threats, such as poor communication during medication administration. This study shows the value of simulation as a powerful tool that enhances team collaboration in complex healthcare environments.³
One of the simulations I participated in while in pharmacy school involved a nursing student, a pharmacy school classmate, and a standardized patient (an actor). For this scenario, we had to tell the “patient” that they had been given the wrong medication, and then professionally manage their response to this news. This simulation was nerve-wracking because we did not know how the patient would react. Throughout this simulation, we were expected to assess a high-risk situation, collaborate with team members, and manage a life-like scenario in a professional manner.
These experiences emphasize how simulation training fosters not only technical skills but also non-technical skills, like learning how to remain calm and level-headed when interacting with an emotional, angry patient. This particular scenario would be extremely difficult to effectively teach in a typical classroom. This exposure prepares students for real-life situations, where effective communication between both healthcare providers and patients can significantly impact patient satisfaction.
Team-based simulations represent a vital component of health professions education, providing students with realistic experiences that enhance clinical skills, communication, and teamwork. Integrating regular interprofessional simulations throughout the curriculum can build confidence in a demanding and complex environment. This approach ultimately aims to improve patient safety and outcomes, and prepare students with the competencies necessary to provide high-quality care in an increasingly interdependent healthcare delivery system.
Footnote
† I-PASS is a standardized protocol for medical handoffs that stands for Illness severity, Patient summary, Action list, Situation awareness and contingency planning, and Synthesis by receiver.
References
Goolsarran N, Hamo CE, Lane S, Frawley S, Lu WH. Effectiveness of an interprofessional patient safety team-based learning simulation experience on healthcare professional trainees. BMC Medical Education. 2018;18(1): Article 192.
The Joint Commission. (2023). National Patient Safety Goals. https://www.jointcommission.org/en-us/standards/national-patient-safety-goals. Accessed November 14, 2025.
Colman N, Figueroa J, McCracken C, Hebbar K. Simulation-Based Team Training Improves Team Performance among Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Staff. J Pediatr Intensive Care. 2019;8(2):83-91.