Improving care for patients exposed to intimate partner violence: An interprofessional simulation case study

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent public health issue. Healthcare professionals play an important role in identifying and supporting individuals experiencing IPV, yet opportunities for interprofessional IPV training remain limited, particularly for student pharmacists. CASE DESCRIPTION: An interprofessional simulation-based educational activity was implemented for students in pharmacy, medicine, nursing, dentistry, and dental hygiene programs. The simulation utilized an adaptation of the "Staying Game," in which participants role-played individuals experiencing IPV and navigated resource constraints, safety decisions, and escalating violence scenarios. A facilitated debrief followed the simulation. Participants completed a post-assessment to evaluate perceived knowledge, perceived preparedness, actual knowledge, and satisfaction with the activity. CASE FINDINGS: A total of 287 students completed the survey. Perceived knowledge and preparedness were strongly correlated, whereas actual knowledge was not associated with either domain. Pharmacy students reported the lowest levels of perceived knowledge and perceived preparedness, but the highest levels of actual knowledge. Participants reported high satisfaction and indicated that the activity increased their understanding of IPV, empathy for victims, appreciation of interprofessional collaboration, and confidence in their professional role. CONCLUSION: Interprofessional simulation is a valuable educational strategy and may impact perceived preparedness, empathy, and collaborative awareness related to IPV among health professions students.