Western New Mexico University nursing students recently joined peers from the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine and Florida Gulf Coast University in a virtual simulation designed to prepare next generation healthcare professionals to address ethical and medicolegal challenges in patient care.
The two-day Interprofessional Education (IPE) session, held in April, brought together medical, nursing and respiratory therapy students in a simultaneous simulation, enabling them to address complex ethical challenges while working collaboratively in high-pressure scenarios.
According to WNMU, the initiative aimed to break down professional silos and strengthen collaboration among students from different disciplines. Virtual breakout rooms created interdisciplinary teams modeled after intensive care and emergency department settings.
“This innovative program gave students firsthand experience in high-level interprofessional collaboration,” said Lorenzo Saenz, WNMU lab simulation coordinator. “It proved how essential teamwork is for managing complex ethical scenarios in healthcare today.”
The experience began with a virtual orientation in which students established rapport, clarified professional roles and developed communication strategies needed for high-stakes decision-making.
Teams then entered a live simulation featuring three patient cases, challenging both their clinical decision-making and ethical reasoning.
Inside the Simulation Scenarios
In the first scenario, students managed a septic pregnant patient and balanced critical decisions affecting both mother and child survival. The second case involved a post-cardiac arrest patient with a poor neurological prognosis, requiring teams to evaluate care plan with simulated family members.
The final scenario focused on crisis standards of care and the managing ICU shortages when emergencies strike. Students applied principles of justice and institutional policy in making decisions.
Throughout the session, WNMU nursing students stressed holistic care and patient advocacy. Teams used structured case studies, applying the four pillars of healthcare ethics — autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice.
Medical students focused on diagnosis and treatment pathways, while respiratory therapy students concentrated on maintaining physiological stability. Nursing students gave insights on family support, patient rights and the legal consequences of bedside decisions.
The exercise concluded with a debriefing session. It allowed participants to review clinical outcomes, team dynamics, and communication effectiveness. Organizers said the process stressed the importance of clear roles and illustrated how each discipline contributes to patient safety.
WNMU said the experience enabled constructive dialogue across diverse professional fields. The collaboration also emphasized the growing role of virtual simulation in healthcare education.
The university is assessing the program’s impact and its potential inclusion in the nursing curriculum. WNMU, by partnering with the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine and Florida Gulf Coast University, aims to ensure graduates are workplace-ready and able to collaborate in increasingly complex healthcare settings.