Simulation Game Recognised for Contribution to the Future of Work
Developed by colleagues from Newcastle University Business School and the School of Medicine, a pioneering simulation game exploring healthcare management has been recognised at an international educators conference.
22 September 2025
Scrubs and Suits: Simulation Game won “Best in Track” at the recent International Enterprise Educators Conference (IEEC) held in Manchester on 10–12 September 2025. The project won in Track 6 – ‘Enterprise for the Future of Work’. The “Best in Track” awards celebrate outstanding contributions across the conference tracks, recognising innovation, impact, and excellence in enterprise and entrepreneurship education.
Designed for interprofessional education between business and healthcare students, the game aims to give students from both disciplines hands-on experience with hospital management, decision-making, budget allocation, and patient care through simulated scenarios.
It has already been piloted with students and staff from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Medical Sciences, and has received positive feedback from students enrolled on the Business School’s 'Digital Transformation for Social Good' module and the Graduate Entry Medical Programme.
Scrubs and Suits recognised with a Best in Track award at the International Enterprise Educators Conference 2025
Whilst many Interprofessional Education (IPE) offerings exist between health professions such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, there is less between medicine and business or management, which this game addresses.
The team behind this collaborative project is:
- Dr Rebecca Casey, Co-Director of Student Recruitment and Lecturer in Information Systems at Newcastle University Business School
- Dr Bas Olthof, Lecturer in Neurobiology
- Dr Rebecca Hancock, Director of IPE (Interprofessional Education)
Dr Casey commented that it was “amazing to be recognised for this example of innovative cross-faculty teaching and my thanks go to my colleagues Bas and Rebecca as well as to all those who have provided invaluable feedback during the project’s pilot phase.”
Enterprise Educators UK, the organisers of the IEEC, shared that they were “proud to highlight the brilliant practice being shared at IEEC, and can’t wait to see how these ideas continue to shape the future of enterprise education.”