Creating Psychological Safety in Interprofessional Learning

Date: Saturday, 26 September 2026 | Time: 1625 - 1755 | Venue: L1-S3, Academia (SGH Campus)

Track Type: Workshop

Speaker(s):

Overview:

Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential for promoting patient safety and fostering collaborative practice among health professionals. However, simply bringing together individuals from different professions does not automatically create equitable participation or meaningful dialogue. Hierarchical dynamics, professional stereotypes, and unclear expectations often impede contributions, particularly from junior or minority voices.

Psychological safety – defined as a shared belief that it is safe to speak up, ask questions, and admit uncertainty – is foundational for effective interprofessional learning. In the absence of psychological safety, IPE risks developing into a performative exercise rather than transformative experience.

This 90-minute interactive workshop provides participants with a structured framework to analyse and enhance psychological safety within IPE settings. Through experiential sharing, a structured case discussion, and application exercises, participants will explore threats to psychological safety at three levels: individual, programmatic, and organisational.

Drawing from Clark’s four-stage model of psychological safety and relevant healthcare education literature, the workshop translates theoretical concepts into practical tips that educators can apply in simulations, bedside teaching, case-based discussions, and formal IPE programmes.

Participants will gain a practical diagnostic lens and an actionable toolkit to enhance collaborative learning environments thereby supporting patient safety, team effectiveness, and learner wellbeing.

Learning Outcome(s):

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Recognise common threats to psychological safety in interprofessional learning environments.
2. Analyse how learner dynamics influence participation and learning in the interprofessional learning environments.
3. Apply practical strategies at individual, programmatic, and organisational levels to promote psychologically safe interprofessional learning

Target Audience:

Healthcare educators, supervisors, programme directors, and administrators involved in interprofessional education.