By Dave DeFusco
Late this summer, the Katz School gathered more than 60 students and 20 faculty and staff from three health sciences programs—B.S. in Nursing, M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies and M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology—for an interprofessional education (IPE) event on simulation that was designed to mimic the realities of healthcare teamwork.
At the center of it all was Ashkhen (Allie) Mamishian-Rajotte, clinical assistant professor of nursing and director of clinical simulation and skills labs. Appointed to her role in June, Mamishian-Rajotte was asked to coordinate the ambitious project within weeks of arriving on campus.
“I was honored because there had never been a simulation-focused IPE event at the Katz School,†she said. “I saw it as a challenge that was important for a school with multiple health sciences programs across several campuses. I came from schools that were centralized on one campus. Our IPE was not only interprofessional but inter-campus in a way.â€
Mamishian-Rajotte, working closely with simulation consultant Brian Haughney, faculty colleagues and school leadership, including Dean Paul Russo; Peggy Tallier, senior associate dean of nursing; and Patricia Reineke, director of clinical education and associate professor of nursing, mapped out an event that was both logistically complex and pedagogically meaningful.
“IPE is a point of pride for all of our disciplines,†said Dean Russo. “Students working together across all practice areas will be good for connecting students from different programs. It strengthens collaboration, breaks down silos and ultimately benefits patients.â€
Faculty from the PA and MedSLP programs helped shape and guide the event. Margaret Montoya, clinical assistant professor in the PA program and a strong advocate for expanding simulation-based learning, and Sondra Middleton, a clinical assistant professor whose three decades of teaching and leadership in IPE, emphasized practical teamwork skills essential to integrated patient care, such as the “call outâ€â€”repeating instructions for clarity; briefing before patient encounters; and huddling to adjust plans in response to new or unexpected circumstances.
MedSLP colleagues Andrew Christler, director of clinical education, along with clinical assistant professors Michaela Medved and Elisabeth Mlawski, underscored for students that medicine goes beyond diagnosing, treating, and caring for patients; it also depends on organizing care efficiently and working seamlessly as a team to ensure the best outcomes. Together, they helped students see just how interconnected their roles are in providing patient-centered care.
The team chose to focus on a CVA, or stroke, scenario, which is an acute medical emergency that requires the coordinated response of nurses, physician assistants and medical speech-language pathologists. “The unique thing about stroke is that it touches each of these disciplines in immediate and critical ways,†said Mamishian-Rajotte. “Nurses are among the first to assess, physician assistants diagnose and coordinate care, and MedSLPs are essential in evaluating cranial nerve function, speech, swallowing and cognition. It was universal enough that everyone could participate fully.â€
From the control room, PA, nursing and MedSLP faculty observed the simulations side by side, offering feedback, sharing perspectives and comparing how their specialties approach stroke care. That active dialogue reflected the larger goals of the event—not to just train students for the day’s scenarios, but to model the kind of lifelong collaboration healthcare requires.
Scripts were written, rooms were staged and roles were carefully assigned to the more than 60 students and 20 faculty. To enhance realism, the organizers brought in standardized patients—professional actors trained to portray patients consistently and authentically.
“There’s no number I could put on the value of having standardized patients,†said Mamishian-Rajotte. “Even the most advanced mannequins can’t replicate the human-to-human connection, especially when it comes to the emotional and cognitive impact of a stroke. Students said the actors were the highlight of the simulation.â€
For Mamishian-Rajotte, who describes herself as someone who “fell into simulation and never looked back,†the event underscored what makes this kind of education so powerful.
“Simulation creates a physically and psychologically safe environment where students can make mistakes,†she said. “We want them to make mistakes here, so we can dissect what happened and show them areas for improvement. The beauty of interprofessional simulation is that students also learn how to collaborate with peers whose roles they may not fully understand.â€
She recalls her own early days as a cardiac nurse, not knowing exactly what a physician assistant’s role entailed. “IPE is a brilliant way to bridge those gaps,†she said. “Sometimes collaboration doesn’t happen, not because people don’t want to work together but because they don’t know how, or they don’t understand the scope of someone else’s job. This event gave our students the chance to learn that firsthand.â€
Mamishian-Rajotte emphasized that the event’s success depended on the active involvement of Katz School leadership. “It wasn’t just a pat on the back or a quick email saying, ‘Good luck.’ Our deans and program leaders were present, engaged and participating in the planning. I had never seen that level of involvement from leadership at other institutions. It was incredibly motivating.â€
Perhaps the most telling sign of success came during the simulation itself. Watching from the control room, Mamishian-Rajotte and the faculty leaders observed students grapple with each case, sometimes making strong choices, sometimes faltering.
“It wasn’t perfect—and that’s exactly what made it successful,†she said. “Simulation is supposed to highlight both strengths and areas for growth. When students walk out saying, ‘I can’t believe I forgot to ask that question’ or ‘I can’t believe I made that mistake,’ that’s when you know they’re learning.â€
For Mamishian-Rajotte, the simulation is just the beginning. “I hope we get to the point where simulation is routine here, where it isn’t seen as something unusual or standout, but simply part of how we educate our healthcare students,†she said. “Because in the real world, that’s what healthcare is—interprofessional, collaborative and always centered on the patient.â€
