Pre-prescribing: Creating a zone of proximal development where medical students can safely fail.
Med Teach
; 44(12): 1385-1391, 2022 12.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35820063
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Prescribing is a common task, often performed by junior clinicians, with potential for significant harm. Despite this, it is common for medical students to qualify having only prescribed in simulated scenarios or assessments. We implemented an alternative students were given pens with purple ink, which permitted them to write prescriptions for real patients. We set out to understand how this intervention, pre-prescribing, created a zone of proximal development (ZPD) for learners.METHODS:
An anonymous, mixed methods, evaluation questionnaire was distributed to all final-year medical students at one university in the United Kingdom. Analysis was guided by Experience Based Learning theory.RESULTS:
Two hundred and eighteen students made 386 free-text comments. Most participants reported that pre- helped them become capable doctors (Strongly Agree n = 96, 45%; Agree n = 110, 50%). Pre-prescribing created a ZPD in which participants could use the tools of practice in authentic contexts under conditions that made it safe to fail.CONCLUSIONS:
This research shows how a theoretically informed intervention can create conditions to enhance learning. It encourages educators to identify aspects of routine practice that could be delegated, or co-performed, by learners. With appropriate support, educators can create 'safe-fails' which allow learners to participate safely in authentic, risky, and indeterminate situations they will be expected to navigate as newly qualified clinicians.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Médicos
/
Estudiantes de Medicina
Tipo de estudio:
Qualitative_research
Límite:
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Med Teach
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido