Improving Health Professions Students' Understanding of Interprofessional Roles Through Participation in a Patient Stabilization Simulation.

Objective. To teach interprofessional communication and teamwork skills to health professions students through a standardized patient simulation on acute patient stabilization and measure the impact on learners' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration.Methods. Medical and pharmacy students in their final year and post-licensure nurses in their initial six-month probationary period worked together to stabilize a simulated acutely ill standardized patient. Perceptions of IPE were assessed pre- and post-simulation using the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised Instrument, version 2 (SPICE-R2). Medical student participants' scores were compared to those of a concurrently enrolled cohort of medical students who did not participate in the simulation.Results. Eighty learners participated in the simulation and all completed pre and post SPICE-R2 assessments. Learners' perceptions increased significantly in all domains, including understanding of roles in collaborative practice, interprofessional teamwork and team-based practice, and patient outcomes from collaborative practice. Compared to the control cohort, participants' perceptions of team-based practice and the impact on patient outcomes improved significantly, while a statistically similar improvement in scores for understanding of roles and responsibilities was seen. The SPICE-R2 scores increased similarly among students in each profession. Repeat exposure to the simulation continued to improve perceptions but not as robustly as the initial simulation.Conclusion. This simulation changed learners' perceptions of how interprofessional collaboration affects patient care, which supports the incorporation of standardized patient-based interprofessional education even in the late-stage education of health professionals.

Concentrated Learning Experiences Across Two Different Health-Systems.

BACKGROUND: While many public pharmacy schools have an adjoining health-system to accommodate their students, some pharmacy programs form partnerships with non-affiliated health-systems to precept students. These health-systems often afford students the opportunity to complete multiple rotations within a single organization, offering decreased onboarding time and more longitudinal experiences. INNOVATION: Two autonomous partnerships were developed with independent healthcare systems for concentrated learning experiences during the advanced pharmacy practice experiences year. Each program differs in student requirements and is overseen by the practice site, with participation by area faculty. KEY FINDINGS: A survey assessed professional skill set development, achievement of program goals during the experiential year, and student satisfaction of a concentrated learning experience. A comparison between programs was completed to assess for consistency in student experiences. Nineteen students (83%) responded to the survey. Students from both health-systems reported similarities in professional skill growth. Likewise, all students reported achievement of program goals and overall satisfaction with their experiential training. CONCLUSIONS: Independently managed concentrated learning experiences provided evidence of consistent growth in student professional development and achievement of programmatic goals. Partnerships with non-affiliated healthcare systems can provide a rich training ground for student learners.

Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in the United States.

Objective. To provide a resource for schools and colleges of pharmacy in different regions of the world that are considering sending their students and faculty members to the United States for training. Methods. A literature review (2000-2018) was conducted that involved database and Internet searches using specific keywords and terms. Information was also solicited from authors in different regions of the United States who have hosted international students and faculty members. Recommendations for pharmacists and other health care practitioners on culturally sensitive engagement were formulated. Results. Global engagement between schools and colleges of pharmacy from different regions of the world and the United States is increasing. In addition to various cultural aspects, general information about the US health care system, pharmacy education programs, and pharmacy practice were found to be available to individuals who are charged with organizing and facilitating these exchanges. Common stereotypes and misconceptions about the United States were also identified. Conclusion. For international learners to have an enriching and fruitful engagement while in the United States, an understanding of American culture in general as well as the unique cultural aspects of different regions of the country as provided in this paper is critical.

Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in the Arab World.

Objective. To create a resource on cultural sensitivity for schools and colleges of pharmacy that are currently engaged or considering future outreach opportunities in the Arab world. Methods. A literature review (2000-2018) of databases and Internet searches with specific keywords and terms were conducted. Authors who had experience in travelling to and hosting students and professionals from the Arab world and authors with local work experience in the Arab world were solicited. Results. General information about the Arab world, including unique aspects of individual countries, is presented. Stereotypes and misconceptions regarding the region and the people are discussed. Specific information about the government and infrastructure of each country, including their health care system is provided, with emphasis given to pharmacy education and practice in the region. In addition, recommendations for culturally sensitive engagement for pharmacy and other health care practitioners are discussed. Finally, recommendations for culturally sensitive engagement when hosting students and/or faculty members from the Arab world are also addressed. Conclusion. Global engagement between schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States and those in the Arab world is increasing. For an enriching and fruitful engagement, sensitivity toward the cultural and clinical needs of the people, and in particular, the professionals of that region is critical.

Evaluation of a Resident-led Residency Preparation Series for Fourth Year Pharmacy Students.

DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM: The increased interest in residency programs nationwide has made the application process more competitive and complex. STATEMENT OF INNOVATION: In 2015, Wake Forest Baptist Health (WFBH) created a resident-led residency preparatory series (RPS) to assist advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students in preparing for residency applications. This study sought to evaluate the perceived value of the resident-led RPS by fourth year APPE students. INNOVATION: This single-center, survey-based, descriptive study aimed to evaluate the perceived impact of a resident-led RPS. All APPE students during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years who completed rotations in the Triad region of North Carolina were invited to participate in the RPS. Surveys were sent to eligible students and data was captured for respondents who indicated an interest in pursuing residency and attendance to at least one RPS. Survey questions evaluated satisfaction with the RPS. Survey data was collected and analyzed using Qualtrics©. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: A total of 84 students were invited to attend the RPS. Thirty-three respondents participated in the RPS and indicated an interest in applying for a residency. The resident-led RPS was consistently well received by the majority of students over the course of two years, with over two-thirds of all respondents finding every session extremely or very useful. The majority of students agreed or strongly agreed with all confidence statements. CONCLUSION: A resident-led RPS resulted in positive student perceptions and increased confidence in the residency application process.

Creating a Pharmacy Internship: A Toolbox for Success.

OBJECTIVE: To describe available compensated student internships and provide guidance for new program development. METHODS: A search was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google with the following search terms: pharmacy, intern, internship, and student. All English language publications were considered for inclusion. Articles describing IPPE or APPE student utilization were excluded. KEY FINDINGS: Pharmacy student internship programs are common in practice, though there are few with published outcome data. Most often, interns serve as pharmacist extenders and participate in activities that center around extension of pharmacy services within the institution. Development of new programs should include partnering with nearby pharmacy programs and state boards of pharmacy to develop a well matched curriculum and allow for interns to practice at the top of their license. Lastly, outcomes should be measured and disseminated for the benefit of the academy. Additional considerations for developing a student internship program and guidance are provided. CONCLUSIONS: Although in existence for decades, minimal published reports showcase institutional outcomes associated with student internships. No data is available to show the downstream effect an internship can have on direct patient care activities.

Heart failure in the elderly: ten peculiar management considerations.

Chronic heart failure (HF) is a disease with significantly higher prevalence in the elderly or patients older than 65 years old. Typically, older patients have more risk factors for HF, more comorbidities, and are more likely to have recurrent admissions for acute decompensations. With HF burden on health care systems primarily related to hospital and nursing home costs, it is critical that elderly patients are approached with a clear understanding of certain unique clinical, laboratory, imaging, and pharmacokinetic differences that can alter their management and outcomes. Psychosocial factors have major implications on adherence to therapy as well as decisions on advanced care for elderly HF patients. In this article, we highlight ten peculiar management considerations when approaching older patients with HF. We discuss issues related to epidemiology, diagnostic challenges, pharmacotherapy, and palliative care; all of which can impact this unique population and, more importantly, the disease burden as a whole.