ABSTRACT
Objective: To examine the impact that participation in 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID19) vaccination clinics had on students' self-assessed ability to vaccinate and secondarily, to examine the impact these experiences had on student perspectives of pharmacist engagement in public health. Methods: Student pharmacists who volunteered in COVID-19 vaccination clinics were invited to complete an anonymous, electronic survey consisting of items pertaining to their self-assessed ability to vaccinate and attitudes towards pharmacist engagement in public health in a retrospective pre/post-experience. Results: Students indicated that the experiences were valuable, participation increased their comfort level with vaccination, and they were better prepared to engage in vaccination following engagement. Additionally, student attitudes toward pharmacist engagement in public health improved after engagement. Conclusion: Participation in COVID-19 vaccination clinics had a positive effect on students' self-efficacy toward vaccination and their attitudes toward pharmacist engagement in public health. Similar opportunities should be promoted to student-pharmacists to facilitate their professional development.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced health professions programs to deliver educational content virtually, including interprofessional education (IPE). Data are lacking comparing educational outcomes and students' attitudes toward virtual versus in-person IPE. Research Question or Hypothesis: Will virtual interprofessional (IP) escape room/simulation experiences impact students' IP socialization and knowledge similar to equivalent in-person experiences? Study Design: Pre-posttest quasi-experimental design. Method(s): IP student teams (pharmacy, nursing, physical therapy) completed an in-person or virtual escape room/simulated case conference experience. Escape room themes were sepsis and joint precautions following hip replacement surgery. In the case conference, students collaboratively developed an IP discharge care plan for a patient after hip replacement complicated by post-operative sepsis. Before and after the learning experience, students completed a knowledge test and a validated pre-post survey assessing IP socialization (Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale-21;ISVS-21). At post, students completed a program evaluation. Data were compared using two-way repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS v26 with alpha=0.05. Result(s): ISVS-21 scores increased for both in-person (n=262) and virtual (n=210) experiences. Pre-experience scores were statistically but not meaningfully different between groups [5.1(0.9) in-person;5.5 (0.9) virtual;p<0.05]. ISVS-21 mean change scores differed slightly between groups [0.9(1.3) in-person;0.5(0.8) virtual;p<0.05;Cohen's d=0.40]. Pre-test knowledge scores were not different [6.7(1.8) inperson;6.6(1.6) virtual;p=0.4], however mean change scores differed modestly between groups [0.7(1.4) in-person;0.1(1.8) virtual;p<0.05;Cohen's d=0.39]. Both in-person and virtual experiences were rated highly per the program evaluation. Conclusion(s): Differences between in-person versus virtual IPE escape room/simulated case conference experiences for pharmacy, nursing and physical therapy students were present but minor. Virtual IPE may offer a comparable alternative to in-person IPE and could be an acceptable option for programs encountering financial or logistical barriers to implementing effective in-person IPE..