Interdisciplinary Simulation Brings Health Care Students Together

Students in Seton Hall’s M.S. in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) and M.S. in Physician Assistant (PA) programs partnered with second-year medical students from Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) to deepen their clinical and collaborative skills during neurology simulations at the Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Nutley.

The simulations reflect a shared commitment across Seton Hall’s health professions programs to expanding interdisciplinary education, preparing students to collaborate effectively in real-world clinical environments.

The events also highlight how shared resources at the IHS campus support this work, bringing together Seton Hall’s College of Nursing (CON) and School of Health and Medical Sciences (SHMS) with HMSOM.

Simulation-Based Learning: Practicing Skills in a Safe Environment

The interdisciplinary events took place in the IHS Simulation Center’s upgraded Hi-Fidelity Suite rooms, designed to resemble hospital units where simulations can be recorded and reviewed as part of students’ pre-clinical learning experiences.

Simulations, which mimic true-to-life patient interactions in health care settings, allow students to practice professional skills in a safe environment, said Vikram Dayalu, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, interim dean of the School of Health and Medical Sciences.

“These controlled scenarios allow students to build confidence and strengthen their assessment skills prior to clinical rotations,” noted Dayalu.

The IHS Simulation Center also includes a Standardized Patient Suite designed to mirror medical examination rooms, along with skills labs outfitted with medical and rehabilitation equipment. In these spaces, students polish their patient evaluation techniques and clinical abilities as future doctors, nurses and health professionals.

Interdisciplinary Simulation Promotes Health Care Collaboration

Faculty said the simulations are part of ongoing efforts to expand interdisciplinary training opportunities for students across Seton Hall’s health professions programs.

During two interdisciplinary simulations, Seton Hall’s PA and AGACNP students joined second-year HMSOM medical students to take part in a trauma scenario that tested both their classroom knowledge and interprofessional skills on a healthcare team.

The Hi-Fidelity Suite, set up like an emergency room, featured a simulated patient known as a manikin — equipped with moving and speaking capabilities and operated by a staff member in an adjacent control room. Collaborating with their medical student peers, the future nurse practitioners and PAs assessed and stabilized the neurology patient.

Students Boost Clinical Confidence and Strengthen Interprofessional Skills

Kendra Pierre, a rapid response nurse in her second year of the AGACNP program, said the simulation improved her advanced nursing capabilities, including intubation and seizure management, while reinforcing the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork.

 “The simulation enhanced my understanding of team dynamics and role delineation during emergencies,” Pierre said.  

PA student Michelle Inga, who hopes to work in a neurosurgical intensive care unit or trauma center in the future, also appreciated the opportunity to put her classroom learning to the test.

“Experiencing a critical neurological case event firsthand while collaborating with medical students was the best way to become confident and comfortable while getting constructive feedback in a high-stress situation,” Inga said.

Additional interdisciplinary simulations are anticipated in the spring semester, noted Michelle McWeeney, PhD, PA-C, assistant professor in the School of Health and Medical Sciences.

“Our students were grateful to participate in this experience and learn from neurology attendings,” she added.

Categories: Health and Medicine, Research