‘A life in a day’ simulation experience: perceptions of oncology nurses and pharmacy staff

BACKGROUND: Due to an increase in patient numbers, more cancer patients are being reviewed by non-medical healthcare professionals (HCPs), and it is essential that they can empathise with patients and care for them holistically. ‘A Life in a Day’ is a role reversal simulation (RRS) which demonstrates the challenges, choices and impacts that cancer patients face every day, facilitated by a Smartphone application (app). This study focused on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and was designed to evaluate the impact of RRS on participants from the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) and the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS), and identify any changes made to clinical practice as a result. METHOD: A survey was conducted via the app before and after the experience. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants over Microsoft Teams. RESULTS: Data from the survey showed that after the experience 97% of all participants strongly agreed that they ‘feel empathy for RCC patients’ and 90% strongly agreed that they ‘feel inspired to place patients at the centre of their work’. There were 5 themes extrapolated from the qualitative data: Holistic understanding of Patients, Reflections on Practice, Changes in Practice, Outreach to Colleagues, Education & Training. CONCLUSION: Participants reported an increase in empathy for their patients which inspired them to make changes to their practice. This involved being more holistic in their care and taking on more responsibility. They recommended use of RRS for HCP training and continued professional development. They also suggested incorporation of RRS into the pharmacy undergraduate curriculum.