International Journal of Healthcare Simulation

Background:

Inter-professional education is becoming more common worldwide and simulation is one way in which this can effectively take place ^[1]. The debrief after the simulation is a critical part of the simulation process ^[2]. There appears to be little research looking into the specific challenges posed by inter-professional debriefing and effective strategies that can be used in this context ^[3].

Method:

A literature search (see Figure 1) was performed to prompt discussion around debriefing after inter-professional simulation (IPS) and identify the challenges that this IPS debriefing poses and some potential strategies to overcome these. Gaps in the research were also identified. The papers included were analysed by the authors and key themes were identified.

Figure 1:

Findings:

The results of the literature search included 20 papers from 2013 to 2019. Four themes relevant to inter-professional debriefing identified during analysis were: ‘The Debriefer’, ‘Method of Debriefing’, ‘The Learner’ and ‘Psychological Safety’. Several challenges around debriefing after IPS have been identified in the literature, including larger groups of debriefers; inter-professional and larger learner groups; multiple debrief tools and psychological safety including hierarchy issues. Potential strategies to overcome them include an inter-professional debriefing team; a lead debriefer; and learner-centred debriefs with a clear structure. Gaps in the research include challenges around having more than one debriefer including around the psychological safety of participants; whether we should be using the same debriefing tools/practices in IPS as well as other forms of simulation; ensuring a balance between inter-professional learning outcomes and individual learner needs; and the effect of hierarchy in debriefing after IPS.

Implications for practice:

Multiple gaps in the research were identified and there is a need for further research in this area to improve our understanding. Identifying firm answers or rules to follow for every debrief is unlikely to be useful, but a framework to consider the challenges and strategies to overcome them may benefit educators in this area.