Putting on a show : educator experiences of facilitating interprofessional simulation

This doctoral report presents a grounded theory Putting on a Show, illuminating how educators describe their practice of providing healthcare simulation for more than one professional group. Interprofessional simulation, describes occasions when more than one professional group through simulation-based approaches, learn with, from and about each other to improve patient outcomes. Simulation based approaches, originating in the aviation industry are now regularly applied in healthcare education (Hellaby, 2013). Simulation is frequently used to explore team dynamics, processes and outcomes and is described as a method that can support interprofessional learning outcomes (Gough, Hellaby, Jones & MacKinnon, 2012; Zhang, Thompson & Miller, 2011). In this study a constructionist grounded theory approach was used to explore the experience of educators when providing this type of simulation. Data collection for this research took place in England over a one-year period with seven participants. Grounded theory is used to generate a theoretical understanding of previously unexplained basic social processes, to ask 'why' questions (Charmaz, 2014). Grounded theory explores participant constructions of experience and is a method of construction throughout the inquiry process, using open, focussed coding and constant comparative methods alongside memos, reflective journals and diagrams (Charmaz, 2008). The conceptual theory generated in this study describes the utility of theatrical practices in simulation including a dramaturg role that resonates with the role of an interprofessional simulation educator. Educators, when adopting this role, can challenge taken for granted practice using an interprofessional gaze to reshape their default views of team approaches to clinical practice to facilitate the interprofessional potential of team-based simulation. The study contributes to describing features of simulation educator development and proposes ways to harness sociological authenticity when providing team-based simulation to more than one professional group.