Evaluation of Pharmacy and Nursing Interprofessional Undergraduate Learning in a High-Fidelity Simulated Hospital, Supported with a Virtual Online Environment

Pharmacy and nursing professions collaborate closely in healthcare settings. Effective interprofessional practice is now widely recognised as essential for achieving optimal patient care outcomes. Little has been published on nursing-pharmacy Interprofessional learning (IPL) in a simulated environment in Australian contexts. This study aimed to evaluate whether an IPL activity improved participants’ communication confidence, role understanding, clinical knowledge, and preparedness for hospital placement, while also assessing student satisfaction and identifying areas for improvement. A pedagogically structured teaching and learning model was developed, involving a high-fidelity on-campus simulated hospital ward, supplemented with a virtual online environment to immerse nursing and pharmacy students in a realistic clinical environment to achieve deep learning in preparation for safe practice. An online anonymous survey was conducted to evaluate participants’ experience and preparedness following the simulation. 280 students participated and 52 completed the evaluation. Most students reported that the experience boosted their confidence in communicating with other healthcare professionals (82%), increased clinical/therapeutic knowledge (86%), gave them a better understanding of the roles of nurses/pharmacists within the hospital setting (88%) and left them feeling better prepared for hospital placement (85%). Student free-text responses from the evaluation survey further supported the expansion of the IPL sessions in the future. IPL involving nursing and pharmacy students in a simulated hospital builds confidence in communicating and increases self-reported preparedness for placement.