Participant Evaluation of a Multi-disciplinary Oncology Preceptorship Training Program for Oncology Health Professionals from Kumasi, Ghana.

A critical shortage of skilled healthcare workers is a primary cause of disparate global cancer outcomes. We report participant evaluation of a multidisciplinary preceptorship program. In collaboration with the city of Kumasi, Ghana, Mayo Clinic and the City Cancer Challenge hosted a preceptorship program for comprehensive multidisciplinary breast and cervix cancer training. A total of 14 healthcare workers from Kumasi received two weeks of training at Mayo Clinic in November and December 2021. Each participant and preceptor were requested to complete an anonymous post-participation survey. Of the 14 trainee participants, 10 (71%) completed the survey. All respondents found the program "valuable and applicable to their clinical practice." Ninety percent reported they were able to "review effective and critical elements in the development and expansion of the multidisciplinary team" and able to "solve practical clinical cases as a team". General themes of satisfaction included: (1) organization and administration, (2) clinical observations and demonstrations, (3) guidelines development, and (4) recognizing the central importance of cultivating a team-based approach. Of the 40 preceptors, 16 (40%) completed the survey. All respondents reported they felt the training would meaningfully "influence patient care in Ghana", that participation "added value or joy to their clinical practice," and all wished to "participate in future preceptorship programs". After a focused two-week program, trainees reported high satisfaction, usefulness from observing specialized cancer care, and value in closely observing a multidisciplinary oncology team. Preceptors reported the experience added joy and perspective to their clinical practice and wished to participate in future programs.

Comparing the effect of assessment-simulation-animation-based against traditional education on nursing students' anxiety and self-efficacy in maternity clinical practicum.

BACKGROUND: The clinical practicum is the practical course that causes the most anxiety in nursing undergraduates. Although high-fidelity simulation education has been demonstrated to boost nursing students' self-efficacy and decrease anxiety in patient care, it is also associated with excessive psychological stress. Assessment-simulation-animation-based (ASA-based) education has been developed to solve the drawbacks of simulation-based education while preserving positive learning outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of ASA-based education and traditional education in reducing anxiety and improving self-efficacy of junior nursing students in their maternity clinical practicum. DESIGN: This study used a two-group pre-post quasi-experimental design. The comparison group was studied first followed by the experimental group. SETTINGS: Department of Nursing and affiliated medical center at a medical university in southern Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: We enrolled 114 junior nursing students from two different class years. METHODS: A convenience sample of junior nursing students was used in this study, with 55 in the experimental group and 59 in the comparison group. The intervention included online ASA-based education videos with pamphlets and was conducted three days a week for five weeks encompassing the maternity nursing clinical practicum. We developed and applied the Clinical Situation Anxiety Scale (CS-AS) and Clinical Situation Self-Efficacy Scale (CS-SES) before and after the intervention. Qualitative feedback was assessed after the intervention. Data were collected from both the comparison and experimental groups during the fall and spring terms of both the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years. RESULTS: Compared with the comparison group, the total CS-AS and CS-SES scores significantly improved from before to after the intervention in the experimental group. The students responded to the intervention by demonstrating clinical consistency, knowing what to do and how to do it and more confidently practicing health education. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that ASA-based education with videos and pamphlets contributed to reducing anxiety and increasing self-efficacy in nursing students during their maternity clinical practicum.

The Impact of Noise on Nursing Preceptors' Assessment of Student Performance: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Noise is a relatively new concept highlighting the variability of cognitive inputs people grapple with when making a judgment. In this case, preceptors make a judgment of students' clinical performance during clinical practicum. There is scant literature examining the impact of noise on nursing student assessment. PURPOSE: This article explores the noise that influences nursing preceptors' assessment of students in clinical practice. METHOD: A qualitative descriptive design was used, and interviews were conducted with preceptors from the clinical setting. RESULTS: Three themes were identified, describing the tensions faced by preceptors when assessing students and the noise that impacted those assessments. CONCLUSION: Both system noise and individual noise impacted the process and outcome of nursing student assessment during clinical practicum.

Investigating preceptor experiences with cultural intelligence in pharmacy education.

BACKGROUND: A culturally intelligent pharmacy workforce is critical for addressing health disparities and ensuring that healthcare teams are equipped to support the medication needs of patients. Despite the critical role of preceptors in developing aspiring pharmacists, little is known about how they create or manage cross-cultural situations for students. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore preceptor experiences teaching cultural intelligence within experiential pharmacy settings. METHODS: A convergent parallel mixed methods approach was used with a 10-item survey measuring preceptor teaching self-efficacy (measured from 0-cannot do at all to 10-highly certain can do) and interviews/focus groups to further understand cultural intelligence teaching experiences. Data were analyzed according to the 4 domains of the cultural intelligence framework (i.e., cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural practice, and cultural desire). Survey data were analyzed descriptively and qualitative data were analyzed deductively. RESULTS: Participants (n = 24) were most confident Discussing factors underlying health and healthcare disparities (e.g., access, socioeconomic status, environment, racial/ethnic) (7.54 ± 2.04) and least confident in Understanding the importance of cultural desire in teaching students to be culturally intelligent healthcare practitioners (5.21 ± 2.72). All four cultural intelligence domains were identified in the qualitative data (n = 315 codes), with preceptors providing evidence of cultural awareness (n = 38, 12.1%), cultural knowledge (n = 54, 17.1%), cultural practice (n = 183 codes, 58.1%), and cultural desire (n = 40, 12.7%). Preceptors described various pedagogical strategies, such as case discussions, reflection, and simulation. CONCLUSIONS: Participants provided insight into pedagogical strategies for cultural intelligence that could promote student learning in experiential settings and help explicate curricular gaps. Further research regarding applicability of the cultural intelligence framework is needed, including application of these strategies and opportunities for preceptor development.

Design and Assessment of a Pharmacy Student-Delivered Preceptor Development Program.

Objective. To design and assess the use of a pharmacy student-delivered preceptor development program.Methods. A student-delivered preceptor development program was developed to ensure all preceptors received documented preceptor development. A menu of discussion topics and associated teaching sheets were created by the school's office of experiential education. On each rotation, advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students led discussions with their preceptors on a topic chosen by the preceptor and submitted documentation of the education. Preceptors answered a survey related to the amount of information and time required for the program, their preference for different formats of preceptor development, one important thing they learned through the program, and future development topics of interest. Students were interviewed regarding their perceptions and use of the program.Results. A novel student-delivered preceptor development program resulted in documentation of preceptor development for all APPE rotations. Seventy-nine preceptors (31% response rate) participated in the survey. In their responses, preceptors generally agreed that they were able to customize their development and incorporate what they learned into practice, and that the program had a convenient format and was valuable for preparing students to be future preceptors. Students reported that the program improved their confidence in communicating with a supervisor and prepared them for precepting.Conclusion. A student-delivered preceptor development program improved documented preceptor development. The program allowed preceptors to customize development opportunities in a convenient format. It was perceived positively by preceptors who would recommend the program to other schools of pharmacy.

Resiliência: avaliação de pacientes queimados em um hospital de urgência e emergência / Resilience: evaluation of burned patients in an urgency and emergency hospital / Resiliencia: evaluación de pacientes quemados en un hospital de urgencias y emergencias

A recuperação de vítimas de queimaduras é longa e dolorosa e afeta diversas esferas da vida do paciente. A resiliência, que se refere à capacidade humana de enfrentar e se adaptar a eventos adversos, exerce grande importância no processo de recuperação da queimadura. Logo, este trabalho objetiva avaliar a capacidade de resiliência de pacientes queimados, no momento da admissão e da alta hospitalar, em um hospital de emergência e urgência de Goiânia. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, quantitativo e transversal que utiliza a Escala de Resiliência de Connor-Davidson (CD-RISC) como instrumento de mensuração. Na admissão hospitalar, a média da resiliência foi de 71,35, tendo sido observada uma relação significativa entre o fator Amparo da escala CD-RISC e a presença do(a) companheiro(a). O escore de resiliência encontrado nesta pesquisa é consistente com outros achados da literatura científica internacional e nacional referente à expressão da resiliência em vítimas de queimaduras e outros adoecimentos. A relação entre o fator Amparo e a presença de um(a) companheiro(a) enfatiza a importância da rede de apoio familiar na reabilitação do paciente queimado.(AU)

The recovery of burned patients is long and painful and impacts on different areas of people's lives. Resilience, which refers to the human capacity to face and adapt to adverse events, plays a major role in the process of recovery from burns. Therefore, the present study aims to assess the resilience of burned patients, on admission and hospital discharge, in an emergency and urgency hospital in Goiânia. This is a descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional study that uses the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD RISC) as a measuring instrument. At hospital admission, the mean resilience was 71.35, with a significant association between the Support factor on the CD RISC scale and the presence of a partner. The resilience score found in the present study is consistent with other findings in the international and national scientific literature regarding the expression of resilience in victims of burns and other illnesses. The relationship between the Support factor and the presence of a partner emphasizes the importance of the family support network in the rehabilitation of the burned patient.(AU)

La recuperación de los pacientes quemados es larga y dolorosa e impacta en diferentes esferas de la vida de las personas. La resiliencia, que se refiere a la capacidad humana para enfrentar y adaptarse a eventos adversos, juega un papel importante en el proceso de recuperación de las quemaduras. Por tanto, el presente estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la resiliencia de los pacientes quemados, en el momento del ingreso y el alta, en un hospital de emergencia y urgencia en Goiânia. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, cuantitativo y transversal que utiliza la Escala de Resiliencia Connor-Davidson (CD RISC) como instrumento de medida. Al ingreso hospitalario, la resiliencia media fue de 71,35, con associación significativa entre el factor Amparo de la escala CD RISC y la presencia de pareja. El puntaje de resiliencia encontrado en el presente estudio es consistente con otros hallazgos en la literatura científica nacional e internacional sobre la expresión de resiliencia en víctimas de quemaduras y otras enfermedades. La relación entre el factor Amparo y la presencia de pareja enfatiza la importancia de la red de apoyo familiar en la rehabilitación del paciente quemado.(AU)

Psychometric Testing of the Preceptor Self-Assessment Tool (PSAT)-40 for Nursing Preceptors.

Background The aim of this study was to complete the third phase of development of the Preceptor Self-Assessment Tool (PSAT). Method Psychometric testing was conducted via an online Qualtrics survey with a statewide sample of 320 nurse preceptors from July to September 2020. Exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency and scale reliability testing were conducted on the 64-item PSAT. Results Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors: (1) inter/intrapersonal skills and attitudes, (2) knowledge and understanding, and (3) administrative resources and support. Cronbach's alpha values for the PSAT-40 ranged from 0.978 to 0.998. Final scale reliability was excellent at 0.983. Conclusion The Preceptor Self-Assessment Tool, now in its final form as the PSAT-40, has established construct validity and reliability and can be used to assess competency as a preceptor. Nurse educators can use this instrument to assess the needs of nurse preceptors and develop strategic nursing preceptor education programs. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(11):491-499.].

Clinical Practicum Assessment for Biomedical Science Program from Graduates' Perspective.

The clinical practicum for biomedical science students aims to provide graduates with the knowledge and skills required to work in diagnostic laboratory settings. This study examines graduates' perspectives on content, teachers and clinical training and their satisfaction rates based on the skills gained during training. The study was conducted on females who graduated from Qatar University between 2015 and 2020. We used a previously validated questionnaire called CPAT-QU. Telephonic interviews were conducted and were analyzed using SPSS. The results showed a high satisfaction rate, of 80%, for the content and organization of the clinical training. The participants' main concerns included the evaluation criteria, as 8.7% were not satisfied. The students suggested increasing the length of the training in order to obtain experience that was more practical. The students' satisfaction with the teachers was 70% in terms of their attitude, command of knowledge and ability to convey knowledge. In total, 69.5% of the graduates claimed that their instructors were interested in teaching and 4.4% claimed their instructors conveyed disinterest in teaching. The Qatar University graduates were satisfied with the content of their clinical training. However, they reported some gaps in this training. Identifying these gaps will help in restructuring clinical training to improve student experience.

Preceptors training need assessment for medical laboratory professional clinical education programs in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Health Workforce Improvement Program and professional associations recognized the need for a formalized method of providing academic education that would improve how preceptors teach and assess student. Thus, this study aimed to assess training needs of preceptors for Medical Laboratory Science clinical practicum education programs in Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was implemented in targeted health facility throughout the country to assess academic educational needs of preceptors for Medical Laboratory clinical practicum education programs. The study participants were conveniently selected practicing health professionals who formally or informally nominated as a clinical trainer or acts as clinical trainer giving practical training to the student in the targeted practice setting. An adapted structured questionnaire modified to local context was used to conduct the survey and the perceived competency assessment used five scale of measurement (Not capable, Beginner, Advanced beginner, Competent, Proficient). The frequency was presented using tables and figures. RESULTS: A total of 304 laboratory professionals participated in this study. More than half (52.6%) of the study participants were in the age group of 21 to 30 years and 264/304 (86.8%) were male. The majority (43.0%) of study participants had 6 to 10 years of experience and 212 (68.8%) did not receive clinical teaching skills training in the past two years. Regarding applying different hands-on teaching methods, the majority 38/304(12.5%) were not capable for role play and community based training, 49/304(16.1%) reported being Beginners, 85/304 (28%) said that they are advanced beginners in the competency. In this study, most study participants 98/304(32.2%) and 130/304(42.8%) perceived that they are competent and proficient in applying laboratory practice teaching methods respectively. CONCLUSION: The average cumulative level of competency from level 1 (not capable) to level 3 (advanced beginner), we found: learning in the practical teaching area 45.4%, clinical practicum teaching quality improvement and advocacy 42.9%, student assessment methods 42.7%, communication, collaboration and partnership 40.9%. Overall competence of preceptors (proportion of preceptors reported competent) was 57%. We recommend designing the performance interventions in the form of training by including communication skills for effective preceptor ship, students assessment and feedback, teaching and instruction strategies, planning for clinical practicum learning and principles of learning and teaching in practical areas.

Development and Validation of a Clinical Practicum Assessment Tool for the NAACLS-Accredited Biomedical Science Program.

Student perspectives on their final year clinical placements in biomedical sciences at Qatar University are assessed using the clinical practicum assessment tool (CPAT), which was developed in-house following accreditation body requirements. The tool, which we call the CPAT-Qatar University (CPAT-QU), covers the three clinical practicum domains: practicum content, preceptors, and competencies. Here, we validate this tool. The CPAT-QU has 27 Likert-scale questions and free-text open questions. CPAT-QU readability was calculated using the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease (FKRE) instrument. Content validity was assessed using the average and universal average scale-level content validity indices (S-CVI/Average and S-CVI/UA). For construct validity, 50 employed graduates who had completed the practicum were consented for study participation, and the validity was calculated by a principal component analysis (PCA). Reliability was analyzed by Cronbach's alpha. The S-CVI/Average and S-CVI/UA were 0.90 and 0.59, respectively, indicating that an adequate proportion of the content was relevant. The PCA extracted two core components, which explained 63% of the variance in the CPAT-QU. Cronbach's alpha values for the items were within the acceptable range of 0.60-1.00, showing that internal consistency has a good level. CPAT-QU appears to be a useful tool for assessing student perspectives on their clinical placements; however, construct validity needs continuous improvement.

Residência médica e multiprofissional: demandas e recursos de preceptores na atenção primária à saúde / Medical and multiprofessionalresidency: demands and resources of preceptors in primary health care

A Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) é a estratégia preconizada pelo SUS para uma mudança do modelo de atenção à saúde, o que implica a necessidade de formar mais profissionais para essa área. Assim, há maior espaço para Programas de Residência que preconizam a formação em serviço, tendo um preceptor responsável pela supervisão direta das atividades práticas realizadas pelos residentes. Esta pesquisa traz as principais demandas e recursos do trabalho dos preceptores de um Programa Integrado de Residência Médicae Multiprofissional, na APS, sob a ótica do Modelo Job Demands and Resources(JDR). A pesquisa é recorte de dissertação de mestrado, com abordagem qualitativa e metodologia da Pesquisa Convergente Assistencial (PCA). Para a coleta de dados, foram realizadas, em formato virtual, entrevistas semiestruturadas e reuniões em formato de grupos convergentes. Participaram da pesquisa dez profissionais da APS vinculados ao Programa de Residência. Foram identificadas demandas relacionadas a excesso de atividades, falta de clareza nas funções, desvalorização, insegurança de direitos, conflitos políticos, intensidade da relação entre preceptor e residente, fragilidade da relação com a instituição, bem como a recursos, como o investimento em educação permanente e a organização política. As contribuições desses profissionais na interface entre ensino e serviço devem ser valorizadas na consolidação da formação em saúde.

PrimaryHealth Care (PHC) is the strategy advocated by the SUS (Unified Health System) to change the health care model, which implies the need to train more professionals in this area. There was greater space for residency programs that advocate in-service training with a preceptor responsible for direct supervision of practical activities carried out by the residents. This research identifies the main demands and resources of the preceptors' work at a PHC Integrated Medical and Multiprofessional Residency Programfrom the perspective of the Job Demands and Resources (JDR) Model. The research is part of a master's thesis, with a qualitative approach and methodology based on Convergent Care Research (CCR). For data collection, semi-structured interviews and convergent groups were carried out in a virtual format. Ten professionals from PHC, linked to the residency program, participated in the research. Demands were identified, such as: excess of activities, lack of clarity in functions, devaluation, insecurity of rights, political conflicts, relationship intensity between resident and preceptor, fragility in the relationship with the institution, and, as resources, the investment in permanent education and political organization. The contributions of these professionals, at the interface between teaching and service, should be valued in the consolidation of health education.

Assessment of Educational Needs and Design of a Preceptor Development Program for Health Professional Education Programs in Qatar.

INTRODUCTION: Experiential learning is the backbone of many health care professional education programs; however, the quality of learning is profoundly dependent on the skills and experiences of clinical preceptors. This study was conducted at Qatar University Health Cluster (Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine, and Health Sciences) with the primary objective of identifying the educational needs of preceptors to design and review an educational professional development program. METHODS: This study adopted a mixed-methods approach and was conducted in three stages: (1) assessment of preceptor educational needs, (2) designing of the Practice Educators' Academy program, and (3) revision and refinement of the designed program. The needs' assessment was conducted at all the three colleges through a validated survey and focus groups comprising of preceptors, students, and clinical faculty members. The sample included 209 survey respondents and 11 focus group sessions. RESULTS: The results yielded five key themes and a variety of individual preferences, which were used to design a five-module face-to-face two-day interactive workshop. For the revision of the designed program, the syllabus was shared purposively with selected scholars and experts in the area of health professions education, and their feedback was collected and critically examined. Furthermore, the refinement of the program was performed on the basis of this feedback, resulting in the revised and representative program being ready for piloting. DISCUSSION: A preceptor development program on experiential teaching and learning skills was successfully designed and revised with the needs of the clinical preceptors at its core. Preceptors' skills development can advance health care outcomes by preparing competent health professional graduates.

A integração ensino-serviço-gestão-comunidade na percepção de preceptores de graduandos na Atenção Primária à Saúde / The teaching-service-management-community integration in the perception of undergraduate students' preceptors in Primary Health Care

Resumo Orientações, normativas e incentivos nacionais como as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais, o Pró-Saúde e o PET-Saúde, contribuíram para fomentar um importante arranjo formativo conhecido como "integração ensino-serviço-gestão-comunidade". Nesse contexto, a preceptoria na atenção primária à saúde (APS) se destaca. Assim, é relevante conhecer, sob a ótica de preceptores, qual é a participação de cada ator desta integração e quais são as barreiras antipedagógicas e de processo de trabalho que dificultam a preceptoria. Este estudo teve como objetivo compreender fatores facilitadores e dificultadores da integração na perspectiva de preceptores de graduandos no âmbito da APS no município de São Paulo-SP. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, do tipo descritivo-exploratório, que utilizou entrevistas semiestruturadas com 14 preceptores, interpretadas pela análise de conteúdo temática. Como barreiras principais foram identificadas: sobrecarga de trabalho, desvalorização da saúde pública, falta de apoio pedagógico e distanciamento da comunidade no processo formativo. Entre as contribuições, destacam-se o trabalho interprofissional e a aproximação entre as instituições de ensino e a gestão quando planejam o estágio. A integração tem importantes questões a serem aperfeiçoadas ao olhar dos preceptores, tendo em vista facilitar a articulação entre os atores e transpor as barreiras formativas.

Abstract National guidelines, regulations and incentives such as the National Curricular Guidelines, Pró-Saúde and PET-Saúde, contributed to fostering an important training arrangement known as "teaching-service-management-community integration". In this context, preceptorship in primary health care (PHC) stands out. Thus, it is relevant to know, from the perspective of preceptors, what is the participation of each actor in this integration and what are the anti-pedagogical and work process barriers that make preceptorship difficult. This study aimed to understand factors that facilitate and hinder integration from the perspective of preceptors of undergraduates within the scope of PHC in the city of São Paulo-SP, Brazil. This is a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, which used semi-structured interviews with 14 preceptors, interpreted by thematic content analysis. As main barriers were identified: work overload, devaluation of public health, lack of pedagogical support and distance from the community in the training process. Among the contributions, interprofessional work and the approximation between educational institutions and management when planning the internship stand out. Integration has important issues to be improved from the point of view of preceptors, with a view to facilitating articulation between actors and overcoming training barriers.

An Observational Analysis of a Novel Digital Rectoscope.

BACKGROUND: This is an analysis of the first 50 in-human uses of a novel digital rigid sigmoidoscope. The technology provides digital image capture, telemedicine capabilities, improved ergonomics, and the ability to biopsy under pneumorectum while maintaining the low cost of conventional rigid sigmoidoscopy. The primary outcome was adverse events, and the secondary outcome was diagnostic view. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: Fifty patients underwent outpatient (n = 25) and surgical rectal assessment (n = 25), with a mean age of 60 years. This included 31 men and 19 women with 12 different clinical use indications. No adverse events were reported, and no defects were reported with the instrumentation. Satisfactory diagnoses were obtained in 48 (96%) of 50 uses, images were captured in 48 (96%) of 50 uses, and biopsies were successfully taken in 13 uses (26%). No adverse events were recorded. Independent reviewers of recorded videos agreed on the quality and diagnostic value of the images with a κ of 0.225 (95% CI, 0.144-0.305) when assessing whether the target pathology was adequately visualized. IMPACT OF INNOVATION: The improved views afforded by digital rectoscopy facilitated a satisfactory clinical diagnosis in 96% of uses. The device was successfully deployed in the operating room and outpatients irrespective of bowel preparation method, where it has the potential to replace flexible sigmoidoscopy for specific use cases. The technology provides a high-quality image and video that can be securely recorded for documentation and medicolegal purposes with agreement between blinded users despite a lack of standardized training and heterogenous pathology. We perceive significant impact of this technology for the assessment of colorectal anastomoses, the office management of colitis, "watch and wait," and for diagnostic support in rectal cancer diagnosis. The technology has significant potential to facilitate proctoring and training, and it now requires prospective trials to validate its diagnostic accuracy against more costly flexible sigmoidoscopy systems.

A Qualitative Preceptor Development Needs Assessment to Inform Program Design and Effectiveness.

Objective. To assess preceptor teaching challenges and development programming design preferences through a qualitative needs assessment of Doctor of Pharmacy student and resident preceptors.Methods. In 2018, 148 experiential education stakeholders across North Carolina (eg, preceptors, residency program directors, experiential faculty administrators, and practice site administrators) were invited to participate in a 60-minute semi-structured interview as part of a broad preceptor development needs assessment. Interview questions focused on: precepting challenges, positive and negative features of development programs, and preferences for program design. Interview transcripts were coded using thematic analysis.Results. Forty-two participants completed interviews, including preceptors from various rotation types, residency program directors, experiential faculty administrators, and institution administrators. Participants identified numerous teaching challenges related to learners, preceptors, and institutional level factors. Participants often noted there was inadequate time, resources, and support to effectively teach. Desirable preceptor development program features included practical strategies, collaboration with preceptors, delivery by education and practice experts, and topics specific to precepting experience. Participants identified live, on-demand, and webinar formats as acceptable if collaboration and engagement were included. Participants also desired unique training opportunities such as online platforms, coaching programs, and simulated learning environments.Conclusion. Preceptors for pharmacy students and residents face numerous challenges and require sufficient time, support, and resources to develop their skills. Participants requested training that included on-demand, frequent sessions delivered through various modalities, collaboration opportunities, a choice in topics and delivery formats, and sessions from educational and practice experts.

Assessment of Volunteer Preceptors at Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy in the United States.

Objective. To identify the way colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States assess the performance of volunteer preceptors who precept students in advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).Methods. In the summer and fall semesters of 2018, directors of experiential education were invited to complete an online, self-administered questionnaire that included questions dealing with assessment of APPE volunteer preceptors related to promotion and reappointment procedures, abilities and attributes assessed, methods of assessment, and frequency of conducting such assessments. Several attempts were made via email and phone to encourage participation.Results. Eighty-one of 132 (61.4%) fully accredited programs responded with all but one reporting that they evaluated the performance of APPE volunteer preceptors. Forty-one of these 80 (51.3%) indicated that preceptors cannot be promoted in rank, while 47 (58.8%) had a process for preceptor reappointment. The most commonly assessed preceptor abilities and attributes were accessibility, ability to provide feedback to students, communication skills, and professional demeanor. The most reported assessment strategies were summative student evaluations and on-site evaluation of the preceptor by college or school personnel. The frequency of assessments varied based on the assessment method the institution used.Conclusion. Assessment of APPE volunteer preceptors was an integral component of the quality assurance process at almost all responding US pharmacy colleges and schools. The institutions evaluated various preceptor abilities and attributes and used multiple assessment strategies. Findings from this study may help programs review their existing assessment practices, implement new ones, and help to standardize preceptor assessment.

Health-system pharmacist preceptor development and educational needs for accessible resources.

INTRODUCTION: Skilled preceptors are crucial to the pharmacy profession as they contribute to the growth and development of student pharmacists and resident pharmacists. As a result, providing education and further growth for preceptors is vital. The purpose of this survey was to determine preceptor development topics of interest and preferred platforms for receiving education. METHODS: A survey was conducted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Section Advisory Group on Pharmacy Practice Experience Precepting. The survey was designed to identify preceptor needs based on experience and background. Professional development opportunities, tools needed to assist preceptors, and the preferred method of delivery were also determined. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-two pharmacists completed the entire 30 question survey. On demand webinars were identified as the preferred method of education delivery. A preceptor tip of the week email was selected as the most favored type of online education resource for preceptors. There was no major difference on the types of online resources for students that preceptors would use. A survey to assist in self-identifying areas for developmental improvement was favored by 81% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: This needs assessment identified that preceptor development materials are in high demand for all surveyed topic areas provided via live and/or on demand webinars or other virtual means. Accessibility of resources should be highlighted in multiple forums in order to ensure the information reaches all preceptors.

Assessment of preceptor understanding and use of levels of entrustment.

INTRODUCTION: This study determined the need to calibrate preceptors' use of levels of entrustment (LOE) in the evaluation of students performing entrustable professional activities (EPAs). METHODS: Two introductory and four advanced pharmacy practice experience-focused cases were developed which described a fictional student, a practice site, and timing of a rotation. The cases included EPA-based tasks assigned to the student. Participants were to assign a LOE to the student for each EPA-based task. RESULTS: Sixty of 317 preceptors participated in the study. Statistically significant differences in mean assigned LOE were found between preceptors by age (P < .05); between preceptors with differences in residency training (P < .05); and between preceptors who spent differing amounts of time with experiential students daily (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in assigned LOE were found based upon preceptor age, completion of a residency, and daily hours spent with experiential students. However, these differences did not result in changes to whether the student would pass or fail the rotation. Findings suggest that preceptors are consistent in assigning LOE to EPA-based tasks performed by students. In addition, preceptor development programming appears to be effective in establishing a standardized understanding of LOE among preceptors.