Partnerships stimulate simulation learning
Podiatry student Cameron Chaplin (middle) and Year 3B Gippsland Regional Clinical School student Steve Xu at right, with simulation patient 'Sharon'. The year-long program is based at Warragul hospital.
West Gippsland-based students are taking part in the Gippsland Regional Interprofessional Partnership in Simulation (GRIPS) as part of their learning and communication skills unit.
The program is being run by the West Gippsland Healthcare Group, working with Monash University to run the 12 month program. Health Workforce Australia (HWA) funds the program to help train healthcare students in five selected Gippsland sites.
It is an interprofessional learning process, with medical students paired with a student from another discipline such as physiotherapy or podiatry. Together they develop a care plan for a simulated patient and provide input based on their own fields of study.
The students carry out their initial interview with a person who plays the role of a real client of West Gippsland Healthcare Group. The experience means students can practice interviewing skills with complex clients in a safe environment without any negative consequences for the client.
By sharing the interview with a student from another discipline, medical students are able to collaborate in collecting the client’s social and medical information, work out a care plan for the client, and advise the client on possible referrals to other services. Working closely with a student from another discipline helps both students know more about the roles and responsibilities of the other profession.
The feedback from the sessions has been enthusiastic, with one student in the West Gippsland program commenting that the scenarios were quite challenging but thought provoking and that it was good working with a student from a different discipline.
Overall the GRIPS program aims to improve healthcare students’ communication, collaboration and co-operation with clients/families and colleagues. This helps to improve client/family care.