Student perspectives on caring and connectedness in the PharmD classroom.

INTRODUCTION: Mental health concerns are increasing exponentially within the college student population. Successfully coping with the stress of adjusting to college can be difficult particularly for students majoring in science- and health-related disciplines like pharmacy. This study aimed to understand how well-being is integrated and could be improved upon within the learning environment from the students' perspective. METHODS: Several college of pharmacy faculty collaborated with campus wellness staff through an initiative that aimed to integrate mental health and well-being strategies into the learning environment. At the end of each semester, pharmacy students responded to open-ended questions meant to evaluate their perspectives of the professor participating in the well-being program. Grounded theory was used to code the responses. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the student responses: (1) Instruct in a creative, consistent, and clear manner; (2) Be genuine; (3) Establish a welcoming environment; and (4) Invest in students. Pharmacy students experienced their classrooms as more than just a place to learn class material but as an environment that valued the students as people. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the role of faculty as educators of classroom material and of including practices that facilitate a sense of connectedness and caring within the classroom.

Longitudinal well-being measurements in doctor of pharmacy students following a college-specific intervention.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Supporting clinician mental health and well-being must start in the learning environment, especially as health profession students have been shown to have higher rates of mental illness than their peers pursuing other careers. This project aimed to support positive mental health in pharmacy students through small changes that faculty implemented both inside and outside of the classroom. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: In partnership with the Counseling and Mental Health Center, faculty received training, resources, and (in some cases) classroom observation and feedback on how to incorporate small changes that support student well-being. Assessments were performed each semester beginning in spring 2018 and ending in spring 2020. These included the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (measuring positive mental health and well-being), the Theories of Intelligence Scale - Self Form for Adults (measuring growth mindset), the Sense of Belonging Scale (measuring five domains of social connectedness), and the Brief Resilience Scale (measuring resilience). Participating faculty were surveyed regarding how frequently selected activities were incorporated into their practice and how comfortable they felt supporting student mental health. FINDINGS: Positive trends were seen throughout the project on the scales assessing growth mindset and sense of belonging. SUMMARY: Supporting positive mental health in pharmacy students in the learning environment is important for both students and the quality and safety of the health care system. Future efforts should expand on this work by refining the measurements used, identifying more interventions, and evaluating the impact these efforts have as students become pharmacists.

Differences in the Relationship of Oral Reading Fluency and High-Stakes Measures of Reading Comprehension.

The current study examined the predictive validity of oral reading fluency measures across first, second, and third grades for two reading achievement measures at the end of third grade. Oral reading fluency measures were administered to students from first grade to third. The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and the Stanford Achievement Test were also administered in the third grade. Oral reading fluency was a reliable predictor of student success on both measures. Data suggest that greater student growth in oral reading fluency is needed through the grade levels to ensure high probabilities of success on the nationally normed measure, as compared to what is needed for the state-normed measure. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.