Interprofessional Simulations for Family Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Students Using Standardized Patients

Effective interprofessional collaboration is essential in today's complex health care environment. The primary objective of this project was to develop and implement interprofessional standardized patient encounters within the nurse practitioner and physician assistant students’ program of study as part of student training. The goal was to improve collaboration and clinical skills and to assess students feedback after their involvement in 4 standardized patient encounters. A mixed-methods approach was used combining survey results and debriefing interviews. Results showed that students had a positive experience and considered the interprofessional activity an effective learning opportunity that increased their patient care skills, collaboration, and communication.