Student pharmacists' service-oriented learning at a camp for children with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Student pharmacist's application of the pharmacists' patient care process during an interprofessional diabetes camp introductory pharmacy practice experience

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To describe student pharmacist's application of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP) during participation in an interprofessional introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) at a Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) pediatric summer camp.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

Student pharmacists entering professional year two (P2) and three (P3) attended a one-week, overnight T1D summer camp as part of the longitudinal IPPE curriculum between June 2021 and July 2023. They completed two PPCP assignments, a reflective assignment and a self-evaluation following the experience.

FINDINGS

Thirty-seven students attended camp. The most common PPCP assignments submitted corresponded to the collaborate core competency (75.6%) and the implement (51.4%) and collect (27.0%) steps. Written reflections revealed students learned about therapeutic monitoring of diabetes, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia management, insulin dose adjustment, and lifestyle strategies such as carbohydrate counting. Many students expressed feeling increased empathy (59.5%) and inspiration (56.8%) toward individuals with T1D. Students reflected positively on their experience working with an interprofessional team. Self-evaluations indicated perceived competency in all steps and core areas of the PPCP, especially in communication.

DISCUSSION

Overall, student feedback indicates inclusion of camp as a non-traditional pharmacy practice site provides ample opportunity to apply the PPCP through participation and interprofessional decision-making opportunities in patient care. Our findings demonstrate camp provided the ability to partake in activities that encompass every step and core component of the PPCP. Immersion in the camp environment allowed early learners to feel competent in their ability to engage in the PPCP and communicate with patients and healthcare professionals.

SUMMARY

Participation in a T1D summer camp provided early student pharmacists exposure to direct patient care and opportunity to apply the PPCP in an interprofessional education environment. Students learned clinical diabetes knowledge and skills, in addition to increased empathy and a feeling of inspiration. Students felt highly competent in their ability to communicate with patients, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers.

National survey of educational impact on pharmacy learners by volunteering at camps for children with diabetes

INTRODUCTION

Current literature on pharmacy students' and residents' experience attending camps for children with diabetes focuses on the experience at an individual campsite. The objective of this study was to examine the demographics and gains in understanding that pharmacy learners achieve when volunteering as medical staff at camps for children with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

METHODS

National listservs were used to identify pharmacists who precept pharmacy students and residents at diabetes camps. These self-identified pharmacists shared pre- and post-camp electronic surveys with their respective pharmacy learners. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS Version 25 (IBM, Corp.).

RESULTS

Eighty-six pharmacy learners completed the pre-camp survey and 69 completed the post-camp survey. Most were Caucasian, in their fourth professional year, and participated in residential camps that lasted six and one-half days on average. Learners consistently engaged in patient care activities including: carbohydrate counting (87%), bolus insulin dose calculations (86%), treatment of hypo/hyperglycemic episodes (86%), blood glucose testing (83%), blood sugar trend evaluation (78%), basal insulin dosing calculations (74%), and insulin pump site changes (72%). Learners demonstrated statistically significant gains in every index measured with the exception of glucometer use. Eighty-seven percent indicated they learned how to appropriately manage T1D, 37% gained empathy for those living with T1D, and 13% learned how to work in a medical team.

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacy learners who volunteered at diabetes camps experienced large gains in their understanding of concepts and devices, comfort with performing patient care tasks, and compassion for children and their families living with T1D.

Controlled Transdermal Iontophoresis of Insulin from Water-Soluble Polypyrrole Nanoparticles: An In Vitro Study

The iontophoresis delivery of insulin (INS) remains a serious challenge due to the low permeability of the drug through the skin. This work aims to investigate the potential of water-soluble polypyrrole nanoparticles (WS-PPyNPs) as a drug donor matrix for controlled transdermal iontophoresis of INS. WS-PPyNPs have been prepared via a simple chemical polymerization in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as both dopant and the stabilizing agent. The synthesis of the soluble polymer was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FT–IR) spectroscopy. The loading mechanism of INS onto the WS-PPyNPs is based on the fact that the drug molecules can be replaced with doped dodecyl sulfate. A two-compartment Franz-type diffusion cell was employed to study the effect of current density, formulation pH, INS concentration, and sodium chloride concentration on anodal iontophoresis (AIP) and cathodal iontophoresis (CIP) of INS across the rat skin. Both AIP and CIP delivery of INS using WS-PPyNPs were significantly increased compared to passive delivery. Furthermore, while the AIP experiment (60 min at 0.13 mA cm^–2) show low cumulative drug permeation for INS (about 20.48 µg cm⁻²); the CIP stimulation exhibited a cumulative drug permeation of 68.29 µg cm⁻². This improvement is due to the separation of positively charged WS-PPyNPs and negatively charged INS that has occurred in the presence of cathodal stimulation. The obtained results confirm the potential applicability of WS-PPyNPs as an effective approach in the development of controlled transdermal iontophoresis of INS.

Changes in attitudes toward diabetes in nursing students at diabetes camp

AIM

The research purpose was to determine whether exposure to residential diabetes camps affects attitudes toward diabetes care and management in nursing students.

BACKGROUND

Summer camp for children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) provides a unique and engaging clinical environment for nursing students to learn about evolving diabetes care and to help children develop diabetes management skills.

METHODS

This prospective, pretest/posttest study assessed student nurses' attitudes about diabetes, who attended one of four residential summer camps in the United States, using the Diabetes Attitude Survey 3 (DAS3). The survey was administered before and after clinical experience designed to fulfill experiential curricula requirements from various nursing programs.

RESULTS

After attending diabetes camp, nursing students (N = 73) had a positive change in their attitudes regarding the need for special training and the psychosocial impact of diabetes.

DISCUSSION

The diabetes camp clinical experience impacted nursing students' attitudes. Diabetes camps are a unique clinical setting that uses learned clinical knowledge and judgment to promote health and prevent disease and disability, supporting the integration of primary care and public health nursing.

Perceptions of service learning in pharmacy education: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Pharmacy services have evolved to include direct patient care and a greater role within the community. Service learning (SL) is a specific pedagogy that can provide pharmacy students with live patient interaction and foster community engagement. Although SL is recommended by educational standards, it is not clearly known if students or patients recognize the benefits of these activities. The objectives of this review are to assess student and patient perceptions of SL in the literature, evaluate the different approaches to SL, and describe interprofessional education (IPE) within SL.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using the Scopus, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), ProQuest, Cochrane Review, Academic Search Complete, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar databases. Search terms included "service learning" AND "pharmacy education OR learning" AND "perceptions." Studies were included if they described perceptions of SL in pharmacy education. No timeline restrictions were made.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included with SL occurring in didactic, co-curricular, and experiential pharmacy education. Student perceptions were consistently positive and expressed improvements in confidence, knowledge, and abilities. Patient perceptions, when evaluated, were also positive. SL provided a strong and trusting learning environment for IPE.

IMPLICATIONS

SL is a beneficial component in all aspects of pharmacy education. Student and patient perceptions suggest that SL can enhance knowledge and improve overall health outcomes. Incorporating IPE into SL offers benefits to all healthcare professional students.

Advocating for the pharmacy profession through involvement in a type 1 diabetes day camp as a pharmacy residency learning experience

OBJECTIVE

Diabetes summer camps have the common objectives of providing children with diabetes a safe environment to have fun and develop skills to manage diabetes in the presence of variable physical activity and nutritional intake. Historically, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has relied on nurses, dietitians, and physicians to serve as medical staff, whereas pharmacists served in educational roles. This commentary describes the experience of postgraduate year-2 (PGY-2) ambulatory care pharmacy residents participating as medical staff in the management of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at a week-long, summer day camp in an elective learning experience.

DESCRIPTION

Two PGY-2 residents volunteered at ADA-sponsored camps in July and August 2017, in which they were responsible for performing and documenting blood glucose measurements, dosing and administering insulin, overseeing the use of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, and managing cases of hypo- and hyperglycemias in children aged 4-9 years. They facilitated interprofessional education of other medical staff members, including discussions regarding pharmacokinetic profiles and formulations of various insulin products and performing advanced insulin dosing adjustments.

SUMMARY

The perceived benefits of this residency learning experience included increased self-confidence regarding the management of T1D, insulin administration techniques, and interprofessional collaboration. Performing advanced clinical management of children with T1D increased awareness of pharmacists' skill set in diabetes care. Demonstrating this value in nontraditional care settings may increase the likelihood that pharmacists are recruited to interdisciplinary health care teams to participate in autonomous direct patient care.

CONCLUSION

The PGY-2 ambulatory care pharmacy residents autonomously practiced as recognized medical staff in the management of pediatric patients with T1D. This experience advocates for pharmacists' and their trainees' involvement in service-learning and team-based medical care outside the traditional health care setting.