Use of Simulation to Enhance Learning in a Pediatric Elective
Use of Simulation to Enhance Learning in a Pediatric Elective
Objectives. To assess the impact on learning of adding a pediatric human patient simulation to a pharmacy course.
Design. Pharmacy students enrolled in a pediatric elective participated in 1 inpatient and 1 outpatient scenario using a pediatric patient simulator. Immediately following each case, reflective debriefing occurred.
Assessment. Forty-two students participated in the simulation activity over 2 academic years. A pretest and posttest study design was used, with average scores 4.1 ± 1.2 out of 9 on pretest and average 7.0 ± 1.5 out of 9 on posttest (p < 0.0001). Ninety-five percent (40/42) of students' scores improved. Students felt the learning experiences were positive and realistic.
Conclusions. Pharmacy students' knowledge and application skills improved through use of pediatric simulation exercises.
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards require colleges and schools of pharmacy to foster students' development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills through application of instructional technologies, laboratory experiences, case studies, guided group discussions, and simulations. The offering of elective courses, such as the pediatrics elective highlighted in this study, is also encouraged. Furthermore, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy advocates that pediatric pharmacy be a significant component of pharmacy school education. However, this requirement may be difficult given the shortage/lack of pediatric pharmacy education resources. Simulation centers with a pediatric focus might allow expansion of application activities, which could augment a pediatric didactic curriculum.
Patient simulation activities offer one method of building application skills. Simulation involves either actors who portray patients and healthcare professionals, or high-fidelity full-body human patient simulators (HPS). Although HPS use is increasing in many health care disciplines, it has been used in pharmacy education only for teaching clinical and team skills and application of pharmacotherapeutic knowledge. The utilization of HPS in a pharmacy course that focuses on pediatrics has not been reported.
In 2000, a pediatrics pharmacy elective course at the Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy was redesigned to incorporate problem-based learning as the primary pedagogical format. Initial goals for improvement of the course included providing students experience in identifying and solving pharmacy-related problems in infants and children and increasing student motivation for learning. To achieve these goals, the course content was taught primarily through progressive disclosure patient cases. In general, course changes resulted in an increase in student perception of their skills and knowledge related to pediatric pharmacy problems. In particular, there was an increase in students' estimation of their capabilities to calculate pediatric drug dosages, an important skill for pharmacists to have if they are to reduce the rate of medication errors.
Despite improvements in student problem-solving skills, additional emphasis was needed on building students' abilities to provide patient-centered care. In 2007, after acquisition of a simulation center at The Children's Hospital of Alabama (TCHA) where the course instructors practiced, use of a pediatric HPS experience to aid in the development of students' patient care skills was considered. In particular, the learning exercise might help students achieve the following Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) pharmacy practice supplemental outcomes: (1) formulate a patient-centered pharmaceutical care plan (new or revised) in collaboration with other health care professionals, patients, and/or their caregivers; and (4) communicate and collaborate with prescribers, patients, caregivers and other involved health care providers to engender a team approach to patient care.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Objectives. To assess the impact on learning of adding a pediatric human patient simulation to a pharmacy course.
Design. Pharmacy students enrolled in a pediatric elective participated in 1 inpatient and 1 outpatient scenario using a pediatric patient simulator. Immediately following each case, reflective debriefing occurred.
Assessment. Forty-two students participated in the simulation activity over 2 academic years. A pretest and posttest study design was used, with average scores 4.1 ± 1.2 out of 9 on pretest and average 7.0 ± 1.5 out of 9 on posttest (p < 0.0001). Ninety-five percent (40/42) of students' scores improved. Students felt the learning experiences were positive and realistic.
Conclusions. Pharmacy students' knowledge and application skills improved through use of pediatric simulation exercises.
Introduction
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards require colleges and schools of pharmacy to foster students' development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills through application of instructional technologies, laboratory experiences, case studies, guided group discussions, and simulations. The offering of elective courses, such as the pediatrics elective highlighted in this study, is also encouraged. Furthermore, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy advocates that pediatric pharmacy be a significant component of pharmacy school education. However, this requirement may be difficult given the shortage/lack of pediatric pharmacy education resources. Simulation centers with a pediatric focus might allow expansion of application activities, which could augment a pediatric didactic curriculum.
Patient simulation activities offer one method of building application skills. Simulation involves either actors who portray patients and healthcare professionals, or high-fidelity full-body human patient simulators (HPS). Although HPS use is increasing in many health care disciplines, it has been used in pharmacy education only for teaching clinical and team skills and application of pharmacotherapeutic knowledge. The utilization of HPS in a pharmacy course that focuses on pediatrics has not been reported.
In 2000, a pediatrics pharmacy elective course at the Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy was redesigned to incorporate problem-based learning as the primary pedagogical format. Initial goals for improvement of the course included providing students experience in identifying and solving pharmacy-related problems in infants and children and increasing student motivation for learning. To achieve these goals, the course content was taught primarily through progressive disclosure patient cases. In general, course changes resulted in an increase in student perception of their skills and knowledge related to pediatric pharmacy problems. In particular, there was an increase in students' estimation of their capabilities to calculate pediatric drug dosages, an important skill for pharmacists to have if they are to reduce the rate of medication errors.
Despite improvements in student problem-solving skills, additional emphasis was needed on building students' abilities to provide patient-centered care. In 2007, after acquisition of a simulation center at The Children's Hospital of Alabama (TCHA) where the course instructors practiced, use of a pediatric HPS experience to aid in the development of students' patient care skills was considered. In particular, the learning exercise might help students achieve the following Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) pharmacy practice supplemental outcomes: (1) formulate a patient-centered pharmaceutical care plan (new or revised) in collaboration with other health care professionals, patients, and/or their caregivers; and (4) communicate and collaborate with prescribers, patients, caregivers and other involved health care providers to engender a team approach to patient care.
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