Interprofessional Simulation: “Welcome to the Night Shift!”

Final-year MD4 students from the Northern Clinical School (University of Melbourne) and Intern pharmacists from Northern Health recently took part in an innovative interprofessional simulation designed to prepare them for real-world hospital practice.

Developed in response to participant feedback, the program was created after intern pharmacists reported uncertainty about how to approach medical staff, while medical students identified gaps in their pharmacology knowledge and understanding of the hospital pharmacist’s role.

To address these needs, staff from Northern Health Pharmacy and the Northern Clinical School co-designed a realistic “night shift” simulation that mirrors the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of a hospital after hours.

During the simulation:

• Groups of four medical students rotated through six simulated patient stations.
• They received simulated phone calls from ward nurses seeking clinical advice.
• Intern pharmacists completed ward-based responsibilities and fielded their own calls from nursing staff.
• Both groups were encouraged to collaborate in real time, consulting and problem-solving together—just as they would during an actual shift.

The exercise concluded with a joint debriefing that explored key clinical and communication scenarios, followed by profession-specific sessions to consolidate learning.

The result of this collaboration has been not only some fun and valuable learning for the students, but a clearer understanding of how collaboration in medical education between the hospital and the clinical school can benefit both.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. Both medical students and intern pharmacists reported increased confidence, improved understanding of each other’s roles, and greater appreciation of the importance of interprofessional collaboration in delivering safe, effective patient care.

One medical student stated "Having a pharmacist in the sim was really helpful. It made it more realistic and I learned when and how to speak with a pharmacist for better patient care.

Ongoing feedback and evaluation will continue to refine the simulation to ensure it meets learners’ needs and reflects the evolving realities of clinical practice.