Abstract
Delivering health care safely requires effective interdisciplinary collaboration, while also preserving professional roles and boundaries. Nursing and medical professionals have traditionally been educated separately, with the assumption that team skills will be acquired during clinical practice. However, this leaves the development of these skills somewhat to chance, and may affect health consumer/patient outcomes. In 2014, then Southland Hospital house surgeon Emily Craven, supported by consultant surgeon Konrad Richter, proposed to the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) the idea of running one-day interdisciplinary education/skills sessions and simulations. They suggested these be held between trainee interns (TIs) on clinical rotation in Southland Hospital, and SIT undergraduate bachelor of nursing and enrolled nursing students. Since the programme began, 12 conjoint sessions have been held in Southland Hospital’s “education shed” and in SIT’s simulation suite. This has involved 30 TIs and 92 nursing students. For the simulated sessions, the TIs are house officers and the nursing students include both registered and enrolled nurses. When Craven returned to the United Kingdom, registrar Meagan McLeod enthusiastically continued the venture.