An Interprofessional Simulation for Child Abuse Reporting

• A Child Abuse Reporting SBL was used to augment mandatory online training.
• More than 90% of the participants agreed that the quality of the experience was high.
• All faculty facilitators agreed that the simulation was effective.
• SBL experiences an effective way for students to learn about child abuse reporting.

BackgroundHealth care providers applying for a license or certification issued by licensing boards in many states are identified as mandated child abuse reporters and must submit documentation of training.MethodA Child Abuse Reporting Interprofessional Simulation-Based Experience (CAR-IBSE) was developed to augment mandatory online training for undergraduate pharmacy and nursing students. The goals of the CAR-IBSE were to provide opportunities for nursing and pharmacy students to (a) be immersed in a realistic yet safe situation in which child abuse needs to be reported, (b) work together to problem solve, and (c) collaborate and communicate to effectively assess, provide care, and evaluate family dynamics in a community setting.ResultsFifty-five nursing and 74 pharmacy students participated in the CAR-ISBE which included planning, performing, and debriefing stages (20 minutes each). Seventy-four students responded to an online postsimulation survey. More than 90% of students agreed that the simulation objectives were met, and 88% of the respondents agreed that the quality of the experience was high. All the faculty facilitators who responded to a postsimulation survey agreed that the simulation was effective.ConclusionsSimulation-based learning experiences are a unique and effective way for students to learn about child abuse and its reporting.