Promoting Psychological Safety for All Participants During a High-Intensity Interprofessional Simulation Event

Simulation is an excellent educational methodology for healthcare learners to practice skills for medical scenarios that are low in frequency but high in emotional intensity. However, these educational experiences may cause distress to participants. As learners must master these skills to be effective healthcare providers, psychological safety warrants attention. All participants must trust that they are not at risk of being shamed, that they are free to acknowledge distress, and that they will receive needed support to master the exercise. We describe the procedures used by our institution to promote psychological safety during the Assessment and Management of Sexual Assault course to offer a potential model for other institutions to consider when engaging in high-intensity healthcare simulation.