Adjunct Preceptor Perceptions of Motivation, Understanding, and Support for the Precepting Role

OBJECTIVE

To determine adjunct pharmacist preceptor perceptions of their precepting role related to three domains: motivation to precept, understanding the precepting role, and support for precepting.

METHODS

An online cross-sectional survey of 2429 adjunct preceptors for four schools of pharmacy was conducted. Participants ranked their agreement with 81 statements regarding the three domains, including eleven subdomains.

RESULTS

Mean scores for the three domains were slightly below the positive response level, with lower scores found for the subdomains of workload, precepting norms, and extrinsic benefits/rewards. Individual statements indicated increased workload due to precepting, need for more preceptor recognition and appreciation, perceptions that precepting was stressful or draining, and a preference for one concurrent learner. More frequent need for extra coaching for APPE students negatively impacted all domains, including nine subdomains.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a formal evaluation of adjunct preceptor perceptions of their precepting role. Compared to previous studies, these results may indicate lower satisfaction with precepting, suggesting opportunities exist to improve the adjunct precepting experience. Actions by schools/colleges of pharmacy are necessary to ensure experiential education capacity including addressing workload concerns, increasing preceptor recognition and appreciation, and supporting preceptors when students need extra coaching.

What Types of Data are Pharmacy Education Scholars Using in their Abstracts for Poster Presentations?

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to describe the data being used to support poster presentations in pharmacy education scholarship.

METHODS

Research and education posters presented at the 2020 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting were unitized to isolate text to be coded, and two coders categorized the quantitative and qualitative data by type and source. Questionnaires, instruments, and exams were categorized as new (ie developed and used for this particular inquiry) vs. existing. Qualitative data types were categorized as interviews, focus groups, self-reflections, analysis of student work products (eg lab reports assessed for student understanding), comments (ie written or verbal comments), and other (eg course reports).

RESULTS

Two hundred and sixteen abstracts were included in the analysis, with 80 (37%) of abstracts relying on data derived from respondent's perceptions. Further, 143 abstracts (66%) used at least one new questionnaire, instrument, or exam. In 57% of the cases where multiple data sources were used, the study involved interprofessional education (eg multiple health professions learners) or pharmacy student-investigator combinations, and 28 abstracts (13%) did not use pharmacy students as a source. Less than 5% of all abstracts analyzed used traditional qualitative methods of interviews and focus groups.

CONCLUSION

This study can open conversations around how to improve the quality of pharmacy education research and the identification of areas within the scholarship of teaching and learning that may benefit from improvement.

A Journey to Understand Enjoyment in Academic Writing

To assist academic writers in finding enjoyment in writing, this paper draws a distinction between enjoying the process of writing and enjoying the nature of writing. Based on an examination of academic writing literature, analysis of personal experiences, and a review of the positive psychology literature, conditions that support writing enjoyment are posited. Readers are invited to examine their personal experience with writing enjoyment relative to these levers. Concrete actions for authors to improve enjoyment in writing are suggested based on the theories discussed, including actions to support flow, creativity, curiosity, courage, mindset, purpose, and humility.

Comparison of electronic versus paper rubrics to assess patient counseling experiences in a skills-based lab course

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To evaluate an electronic counseling rubric to facilitate timely student feedback and explore differences in student performance, student anxiety, and self-perceived preparedness in a high stakes practical exam when using a paper rubric versus an electronic rubric.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

Two cohorts of students in the third professional year were evaluated using the same rubric criteria: cohort 1 (n = 97) used traditional paper rubrics and cohort 2 (n = 104) used electronic rubrics. Cohorts were surveyed to measure anxiety and perceived preparedness in patient counseling skills one week prior to a practical exam, and cohort responses were compared. Student practical exam performance was also compared between the two cohorts.

FINDINGS

Results showed no significant relationship between electronic rubric use and student anxiety (p = 0.07) or student exam performance [average score 53.42 points (SD 3.65) and 53.93 points (SD 3.78) in Cohort 1 and Cohort 2, respectively]. Perceived exam preparedness was higher among students using electronic rubrics, with timing of feedback being the mediating process in increasing preparedness (p < 0.01).

DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY

Electronic rubrics resulted in more timely feedback on patient counseling skills, and students felt more prepared for their practical exam. This did not result in a significant difference in practical exam performance between the two cohorts. Additional methods to incorporate electronic rubrics into the course will be explored.