Activities to promote empathy for patients among pharmacy learners: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Provider empathy has been shown to be directly linked to improved patient outcomes. The objective of this scoping review of the literature was to identify and describe learning activities that promote empathy for patients among pharmacy learners. METHODS: This scoping review was conducted using the following inclusion criteria: publication in English, activities conducted in any academic pharmacy training program (professional degree program, experiential, residency, or fellowship), description of the learning activity(ies) provided, and focus on the experience of empathy/caring/compassion for patients, either human or animal. Articles were excluded if they focused only on skills such as empathic responding or if they did not describe the learning experience. All study designs other than reviews were included. RESULTS: The scoping review revealed 89 full-text articles that met the inclusion criteria. Included studies demonstrated a wide variety of approaches to the design of learning experiences as well as methods of measurement of empathy. Various types of learning modalities have been used to develop empathy in pharmacy learners, with reflection being the most common. A large proportion of studies that assessed empathy development used quasi-experimental or qualitative designs and did not report tests of statistical significance, which would make it difficult to compare the effectiveness of the different learning activities. IMPLICATIONS: A variety of approaches have been used among pharmacy learners to develop empathy for patients. Due to the high level of variability in approaches, more rigorous studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of these learning activities.

Preparing Pharmacy Educators as Expedition Guides to Support Professional Identity Formation in Pharmacy Education.

Objective. To provide an educator-friendly travel guide for supporting pharmacy students' lifelong journey to professional identity formation.Findings. In contrast to professionalism, which has emphasized externally visible behaviors, professional identity focuses on the internalization of the attitudes, standards, and behavioral norms of a profession, such that one "thinks, acts, and feels" like a member of that profession. Identity, whether personal or professional, is continuously developed in part during interactions with others and in response to internal and external feedback on those interactions. Educators play a critical role in helping students navigate the "provocative moments" (eg, transitions, dissonance) that accompany identity formation. To help educators travel with purpose, several identity formation theories suggest means of creating learning experiences and supporting the development of a professional identity. Additionally, guidebooks for the trip (ie, published literature) provide examples of didactic and experiential teaching approaches that can be used to promote professional identity formation. While further exploration and research are necessary, traveling this journey with colleagues can help members of the Academy succeed in sustainably and effectively infusing intentional professional identity formation within pharmacy education and training.Summary. There are myriad ways for educators to develop and support professional identity formation, which can present a challenge when defining the role that educators play in this complex, dynamic process. Educators must understand the reasoning behind various approaches and the common dialogue used to engage and support learners as their expedition guides on the lifelong journey to professional identity formation.

Report of the 2019-2020 AACP Student Affairs Standing Committee.

The 2019-2020 Student Affairs Standing Committee addressed charges related to professional identity formation (PIF) in order to set direction and propose action steps consistent with Priority #3.4 of the AACP Strategic Plan, which states "Academic-practice partnerships and pharmacist-involved practice models that lead to the progress of Interprofessional Practice (IPP) are evident and promoted at all colleges and schools of pharmacy." To this end, the committee was charged to 1) outline key elements of PIF, 2) explore the relationship between formal curricular learning activities and co- or extra-curricular activities in supporting PIF, 3) determine the degree to which there is evidence that strong PIF is embedded in student pharmacists' educational experience, and 4) define strategies and draft an action plan for AACP's role in advancing efforts of schools to establish strong PIF in pharmacy graduates. This report describes work of the committee in exploring PIF and provides resources and background information relative to the charges. The committee offers several suggestions and recommendations for both immediate and long-term action by AACP and members to achieve goals related to integrating PIF into pharmacy education. The committee proposes a policy statement relative to the committee charges. Furthermore, the report calls upon the profession to develop a unified identity and incorporate support for PIF into pharmacy education, training, and practice.

Using Focus Groups to Explore Evolving Perceptions of Student Pharmacists' Curricular Experiences.

Objective. To explore student pharmacists' shared experiences as they transitioned through the first three years of a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, from dependent learners to autonomous contributors. Methods. The researchers used interpretive phenomenology to examine the lived experiences of student pharmacists. Previously gathered focus group data for 309 student pharmacists from the 2015-2016 academic year were explored. A step-wise approach to data analysis was used to perpetuate the natural emergence of themes and alignment with theory. Utilizing Arthur Chickering's Seven Vectors of Identity Development as a lens, the researchers analyzed findings related to self-realization and identification of purpose. Results. The research team identified several themes associated with the teaching and learning process: professionalism, autonomy, and managing the expectations of the curriculum. A connection between the researchers' findings and Chickering's seven vectors was seen as students' comments demonstrated their progress along the vectors over three academic years. Conclusion. This exploration provided a glimpse into the lived experiences of student pharmacists at three different stages in their journey from dependent learners to autonomous contributors. By comparing students in one year with those in the next, the researchers were able to see the evolution that occurred over time as students became self-authored individuals, which is the ideal outcome for pharmacy graduates.