Key facilitators driving psychological safety for health students in Sim-IPE debriefs

IntroductionBoth effective interprofessional practice and interprofessional education require psychological safety (Edmondson et al., 2016; Kolb et al., 2020). An integral component of simulation-enhanced interprofessional education (Sim-IPE) is the debriefing stage, as it allows for reflective and deep learning. However, there is limited research on the impact of psychological safety for health students when participating in debriefing during Sim-IPE. Recognising the evolving role of psychological safety in future generations of health professionals, our research aimed to address this gap. MethodsThe research aimed to identify if students self-reported psychological safety, the elements and enablers of it, and any variations across disciplines. Firstly, students participated in a Sim-IPE program in two rural local health districts, which consisted of seven scenarios followed by debriefs in groups of 3-6 with a clinical educator facilitating discussion. Following the day, students were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences of the debriefs. ResultsOf the 30 students who participated in the Sim-IPE day, 14 students consented to interviews, and 10 were conducted. The data underwent directed qualitative content analysis and mind mapping. Four themes were identified with 3-4 subthemes grouped within each. The themes identified are Supportive facilitator behaviours, Inclusiveness in a diverse group, Structural and environmental considerations, and Trust, vulnerability, and open communication. All themes influence one another and are inter-related. DiscussionThe results demonstrate key elements and practical strategies that can be used to create psychologically safer environments during Sim-IPE debriefs. These could be utilised in designing similar learning experiences. Pre-service health students are in a transformational time of learning, and to empower them with psychologically safer environments will shape this generation of healthcare professionals, for our future. Questions arise around creating expectations of psychological safety with health students and whether exposure pre-service precipitates better expectation in undergraduate and post-graduate environments.