Experiential Placements in Pharmacy

ALTC project 2007-2011

Susanne OwenIeva Stupans

Greg RyanLeigh McKauge

Jim Woulfe

Supported by ALTCGraduated Descriptors update supported by Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

Stage 1 2007 Carrick funded Pharmacy Experiential Placement

Project Goals

• To foster improvement in the quality of pharmacy experiential placements

• To map experiential learning, objectives, teaching and learning activities and their assessment within experiential placements across pharmacy schools in Australia

• To identify quality indicators and provide models for other health professions

Stage 1 Research Strategies

Preliminary research

Literature review

Placement mapping

Placement Handbook analysis

Focus groups

Options paper

responses

Research funding bid

National forums for organisations and leaders of student pharmacy organisations

Research on Work-based learning, other professions, experiential learning, competency assessment

Interviews with state/territory University Pharmacy schools & experiential placement mapping

Experiential Placement Handbook analysis

State/territory focus groups involving students, professional/ registration reps, preceptors

Stakeholder response to options paper: online survey & workshops

Research funding bid

ALTC Stage 2 2008-2010/11

Based on Stage 1 recommendations

Aim: To improve the planning and delivery of pharmacy experiential learning

Three elements:1. Creation of an experiential learning

database2. Development of a graduated descriptors

of competency tool for university experiential placements

3. Identification of placement quality indicators

ALTC 2008-2010 Deliverables

1. Planned experiential placement learning and assessment tasks collaboratively developed and published within an online central repository website

2. Sustainable infrastructure established for repository of experiential placement tasks, including website, collaborative workshops regularly scheduled within professional association education forum and quality assurance online feedback processes

3. Documentation of a framework of graduated developmental descriptor outcomes for experiential placement programs in relation to novice and advanced beginner students

4. Training package of graduated developmental descriptors developed, trialled and disseminated online

5. Quality indicators framework consultatively developed and published

6. Interim and final ALTC reports regarding pharmacy project submitted

7. Conference papers and journal articles prepared and delivered

Outcome 1

Creation of an experiential learning database

Creation of pharmacy experiential learning database

Process and Achievements• Series of national workshops with varied stakeholders (2008-2011)

– collaborative development of site activities & about 100 attendees

– inherent professional development aspect

– iterative development of the site

– trial and modification of activities and site navigation

• Data gathering and feedback from stakeholders and users, site & tasks continuously updated & positive response for ease of use, navigability, usefulness

• About 150 registered site users• Overall positive view of workshop process as a model for future

workshop events

Curriculum Planning

25 Published website activities

• Evidence based practice: conducting a DUE audit• Smoking cessation awareness in a community pharmacy• Researching the community• Barriers to effective communication with patients and developing strategies• Prepare a pharmaceutical product: compounding• Responding appropriately to an over-the-counter request from a patient for a treatment of cough/cold• Learning to be reflective• Working in groups, a structured approach• Supply of medicines in hospitals• Reflective journal• Undertaking non-prescription medicines consultations• Creating an experiential portfolio• Communicating with patients: the information gathering process• Product Knowledge: over-the-counter cough and cold medicines• Individual reflection on a group project• Medicines review: authentic patient• Patient counselling interaction task and reflection• Inter-professional learning• Dispensing medicines: step 1: assessing a prescription• Patient case report: taking a patient history• Communication health promotion for pharmacists• Quality use of medicines audit: collaborative task• OTC cough and cold medicines• Team work• Using the graduated descriptors tool: preceptor-student feedback

Outcome 2

Development of a graduated descriptors of competency tool for University experiential

placements

Development of a graduated descriptors of competency tool

for University experiential placements

Process and Achievements

•Literature review (esp speech pathology; Benner , 1984; Dreyfus & Dreyfus, 1996)•Preliminary work: Two initial national workshops late 2008/early 2009: (i) 11 academics & profession reps (ii) 25 student leaders resulting in:

– summary of key competency areas from PSA competency standards document

– Development of descriptors of progressive stages of competence at early and late placement levels1

•National consultations May-Sept 2009 & at APSA to further develop and refine the framework (200+ reps)•Trial of instrument with student/preceptors – USydney, UQ + trial of amended tool (nearly 300 survey/interview responses)•Tool updated for new PSA (2010) competencies (with funding support provided by PSA)

Majority positive response to initial tool:

– University student placements being connected to internship and PSA competencies (‘starting the journey’)

– Developmental nature of proposed framework – early to late placement, degree of assistance, amount of time required, etc

– Clarity of the descriptors and connection with ‘cues’ defining registration-level competence

– Self-assessment and reflection focus– Clarify expectations and to prompt feedback – useful for

both students and preceptors– Shared understanding of competency standards– Guide to ‘good’ practice

Amended Graduated Descriptors Tool

Amendments: reduced wordiness of instructions; easier to use tick boxes, providing an a completed example in instructions

57 trial school students provided survey responses. Increase from 50% to 72% (for satisfactory to excellent) for tool being clear and easy to use.

Positive student interview responses to the amended tool.

Positive academic responses to external interviewer questions.

TOOL REVISED IN MID 2011 FOR UPDATED PSA (2010) COMPETENCIES (with PSA funding support)

Outcome 3

Development of quality indicators for experiential placements

Quality Indicators FrameworkProcess and Achievements

•Framework identified in (2007) Stage 1 project – pre, during and post placement factors:

– Site, preceptors, university structures, student attitudes & learning approaches

•Key indicators for each category collated and examined•Review of models – strengths and weaknesses – across disciplines eg medicine, nursing, education. •Development of 15-item survey tool - importance of factor and degree to which this occurred within placement – ‘gap’ analysis•Piloted - state/territory stakeholder groups including students, preceptors, prof/registration reps. (533 pharmacy responses, incl 370 students + 99 interns)•Survey of other health discipline groups (202 students)

Students: Quality Indicators Gap Analysis

Publications

• Owen, S., Ryan, G., Woulfe, J., McKauge, L. & Stupans, I. (2011). Collaborative development of an online pharmacy experiential learning database. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(7), 1069-1081. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet27/owen.html

• McKauge, L., Stupans, I., Owen, S., Ryan, G. & Woulfe, J. (2011). Building Critical Reflection Skills for Lifelong Learning in the Emergent Landscape of a National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 24: 235. Abstract here.

• Stupans, I., Owen, S., Ryan, G., McKauge, L. & Woulfe, J. (2011). Development and Trialling of a Graduated Descriptors Tool for Australian Pharmacy Students. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. Abstract here.

• Owen, S.,  Stupans, I.,  Ryan, G.,  McKauge, L.,  Woulfe, J. &  Ingleton, C. (2011).  Nurturing a Cross-institutional Curriculum Planning Community of Practice. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education. Vol 12 (1): 39-50. Article here

• Owen, S., Stupans, I., Ryan, G., McKauge, L. & Woulfe, J. (2010). Involving Students in Research Decision Making: Developing a Graduated Descriptors Tool. In M. Devlin, J. Nagy and A. Lichtenberg (Eds.) Research and Development in Higher Education: Reshaping Higher Education, 33. Melbourne, 6–9 July. Article here.

• Owen, S., Stupans, I., Ryan, G., McKauge, L. & Woulfe, J. (2010). Support Needed by Pharmacy Students in Experiential Placements: Stakeholders’ Expectations. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, Vol 40 (2). pp 99-102, No. 2. Article here.

Owen, S., Stupans, I., McKauge, L., Pont, L. & Ingleton, C. (under review). The Academic Developmental Learning Journey in using a Competency Graduated Descriptors Tool for Student Self-Assessment and Feedback  Stupans, I., McKauge, L. & Owen, S. (2011). Indicators of a Quality Clinical Placement in Pharmacy: Stakeholder Perspectives. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.Vol 41 (2):118-121.   Owen, S., Ryan, G., Woulfe, J., McKauge, L. & Stupans, I. (in press) Collaborative Development of an Online Pharmacy Experiential Learning Database. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology

 Stupans, I.,Owen, S., Ryan, G., Woulfe, J. & McKauge, L. (2010). Scaffolding Patient Counselling Skills in Australian University Pharmacy Programs. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education. Vol 11(2): 29-37. Article here.

Owen, S., Stupans, I., Ryan, G., McKauge, L. & Woulfe, J. (2010). Academic Professional Development for Quality Experiential Placements: Using National Collaborative Approaches for Creating Online Repository Tasks. Refereed paper accepted for Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) 2010 National Conference: Work Integrated Learning (WIL): Responding to Challenge. 29 September – 1 October. Curtin University of Technology. Perth WA: pp. 360-366. Full proceedings here.

Conferences & presentations

• Owen, S., Stupans, I., Ryan, G., McKauge, L., Woulfe, J. (2010). Involving Students in Research Decision Making: Developing a Competency Graduated Descriptors Tool. Peer reviewed paper presented at 33nd Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. (HERDSA). 6-9 Jul.  PPT here (5 MB), Article here

• Owen, S., Stupans, I., Ryan, G., McKauge, L. (2009). Graduated (Pharmacy) competency descriptors for university experiential placements. Poster presented at Assessment in Different Dimensions: Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) Assessment Conference 2009, RMIT University, Melbourne. Program here.

• Woulfe, J., Ryan, G., Stupans, I., Owen, S., McKauge, L. (2009). The Pharmacy Experiential Learning Database (PELD). In: Same places, different spaces: Proceedings Ascilite Auckland [Internet [sighted 2010 May 13];1200-01. Available from: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/woulfe-2-poster.pdf

• McKauge, L., Stupans, I., Owen, S., Ryan, G., Woulfe, J. (2010). Building professional skills using a graduated descriptor tool to assess practice skill development. Poster presented at ANZAME conference, Overcoming BARRIERS, RE(E)Forming Professional Practice Townsville, July. Abstract here, poster here.

• Stupans, I., McKauge, L., Owen, S., Ryan, G., & Woulfe, J.(2010). Exploring the Development of Health Professional Graduated Descriptors. Invited workshop presented at ANZAME conference, Overcoming BARRIERS, RE(E)Forming Professional Practice Townsville, July. Abstract here, poster here

• Ryan, G., Woulfe, J., Stupans, I., Owen, S.  & McKauge, L. (2009). Introducing the Pharmacy Experiential Learning Database (PELD). Oral and poster presentation at the 5th Pharmacy Education Symposium, Fitness to practice: competency-based teaching and learning in pharmacy, 2009, Monash University, Prato, Italy

• Stupans, I., Owen, S., Ryan, G., Woulfe, J. &  McKauge, L. (2009).Graduated competency descriptors for university experiential placements. Workshop at the 5th Pharmacy Education Symposium, Fitness to practice: competency-based teaching and learning in pharmacy, Monash University, Prato, Italy.

• Stupans, I., Owen, S., Ryan, G., Woulfe, J. & McKauge, L.(2009). University of Sydney Pharmacy Education Unit presentation, November Workshops/Presentations: Graduated Competency Descriptors for University Experiential Placements; Introducing the Pharmacy Experiential Learning Database (PELD).

• Owen, S., Stupans, I., Ryan, G., & McKauge, L. [Invited Speakers] (2009). Competency Graduated Descriptors and Online Collaborative Task Development Workshops. Australian Pharmaceutical Sciences Association Education Forum. December. University of Tasmania: Hobart. Program here.

• Owen, S., Stupans, I., Ryan, G.,& McKauge, L. [Invited Speakers] (2008). Competency assessment: developing competency in the student. Workshop at the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association (APSA) Conference, Teams for Tomorrow, Australian National University: Canberra.

• Ryan, G., Woulfe, J., Stupans, I., Owen, S.  & McKauge, L. (2009). Introducing the Pharmacy Experiential Learning Database (PELD). Oral and poster presentation at the 5th Pharmacy Education Symposium, Fitness to practice: competency-based teaching and learning in pharmacy, 2009, Monash University, Prato, Italy

Survey

Have you used the website to date? For what purpose?

Tick tasks you have used & comment on type of use/amend useuse/amendment Evidence based practice: conducting a DUE audit

Smoking cessation awareness in a community pharmacy

Researching the community

Barriers to effective communication with patients and developing strategies

Prepare a pharmaceutical product: compounding

Responding appropriately to an over-the-counter request from a patient for a treatment of cough/cold

Learning to be reflective

Working in groups, a structured approach

Supply of medicines in hospitals

Reflective journal

Undertaking non-prescription medicines consultations

Creating an experiential portfolio

Communicating with patients: the information gathering process

Product Knowledge: over-the-counter cough and cold medicines

Individual reflection on a group project

In what ways have you or your colleagues used the curriculum planning principles in your programs or will you do so in the future?

Rate the overall success of the workshop in providing professional development opportunities and in supporting academic learning? (with ‘5’ indicating high success and ‘1’ low success)

Rate the degree of curriculum sharing and collaborative approach and its value ? (with ‘5’ indicating high degree of sharing and ‘1’ low sharing)

Medicines review: authentic patient

Patient counselling interaction task and reflection

Inter-professional learning

Dispensing medicines: step 1: assessing a prescription

Patient case report: taking a patient history

Communication health promotion for pharmacists

Quality use of medicines audit: collaborative task

OTC cough and cold medicines

Team work

Using the graduated descriptors tool: preceptor-student feedback