This descriptive qualitative study investigates perceptions of students regarding the use of SocialSim, a tool designed to deliver simulation in a virtual environment using social media as a platform to facilitate inteprofessional education. There have been exponential changes in U.S. healthcare system in recent years, prompting the need for institutions in higher education to prepare students to function effectively as members of an inteprofessional team. Coinciding with this is advancement in the field of healthcare simulation and virtual methodologies. The incorporation of these three into a learning experience for IPE has not been previously explored and became the impetus for my study. I developed SocialSim as a novel tool using social media as a platform to deliver a simulation facilitating interprofessional education. I examine the use of this tool and experiences of twenty healthcare professional students at a major public university. Through the analysis of semi-structured interviews, this study examines student perspectives related to the use of SocialSim as a new tool for IPE. The results can inform administrators and faculty decisions in addition to expanding the field of healthcare simulation.
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