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Patient-centered, interprofessional (IP) teams are an effective method of delivering healthcare that has improved efficiency, patient satisfaction, and staff satisfaction. As a result, team-base care is on the rise in many healthcare settings.[1] With this rise, there is now an increased need for interprofessional education in healthcare training.  Some healthcare training programs require the use of IP education to meet accreditation standards. Implementation of IP educational experiences early in training improves team communication and teamwork.[2][3][4] Poor communication is a leading cause of medical errors, and training healthcare professionals early to work collaboratively in a team environment must be a cornerstone of their training.[5]Early introduction to the roles and responsibilities of other professions has the potential to improve the utilization of their specific expertise and, subsequently, to improve patient outcomes.[2] Simulation is an active learning strategy that can be used for conducting IP education.[6] Simulation-enhanced interprofessional education (Sim-IPE) is “when participants and facilitators from two or more professions are engaged in a simulated health care experience to achieve shared or linked objectives and outcomes.” [7] Sim-IPE allows learners to interact in a shared experience to achieve shared learning outcomes or goals. Also, it can provide insight into the roles and responsibilities of the various disciplines within healthcare. The purpose of this review is to provide insight into the necessary components of Sim-IPE curricular development, identify and overcome potential barriers to successful implementation, and improve collaborative practice.

By incorporating Sim-IPE as an integral part of formal education, students learn the fundamental teamwork and communication principles that help transition them to functioning effectively on interprofessional teams once they graduate and are in the clinical practice setting. Likewise, Sim-IPE should be used in continuing education and designed intentionally to align with interprofessional collaborative practice competencies.[1] Prioritizing Sim-IPE across the educational continuum, including clinical practice, provides the opportunity to examine its impact on collaborative behavior and patient outcomes.[4]