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 Narrative Inquiry of Critical Events Supporting Professional Identity Formation in Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

OBJECTIVE: Professional identity formation (PIF) is the process of internalizing a profession's core values and beliefs so that one begins to think, act, and feel like a member of that profession. PIF occurs over an individual's professional socialization in stages, precipitated by critical moments or experiences. The purpose of this study was to answer the following: (1) What are the critical events for pharmacy student PIF in introductory pharmacy practice experiences?; and (2) How do these events support or challenge PIF? METHODS: This study used critical event narrative inquiry methodology. A critical event is an experience that creates a change in understanding and affects professional performance. Semistructured interviews were conducted with pharmacy students who completed introductory pharmacy practice experience rotations in community (first year) and hospital (second year) settings. Interviews were coded and analyzed using narrative analysis. RESULTS: Twelve first-year and 10 second-year students participated in this study. Narratives revealed that common experiential education experiences resulted in a deeper understanding of core role elements (ie, professional autonomy, responsibility, interprofessional collaboration, and patient-centered care), leading to changes in agency, knowledge, and anticipated future behaviors. While first-year participants' narratives mainly focused on understanding pharmacist roles ("what"), second-year participants focused on understanding the process to fulfill those roles ("how to"). Emotions, assuming responsibility, external validation, and preceptor guidance supported these events. CONCLUSION: Critical events in introductory pharmacy practice experiences affect and shape pharmacy students' PIF. These events are relevant to pharmacy education because these experiences can result in changes in knowledge, agency, or future behaviors for students.

Mining for Retention Gems and Unearthing Identity and Belonging.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between first-year retention and variables related to professional engagement and professional, academic, and personal identities. METHODS: This study evaluated data from 3 cohorts of students at a private 0-6 college of pharmacy. A theoretical and conceptual framework linking professional identity and retention informed the study. Professional engagement scores from the first semester of pharmacy school served as a surrogate of professional identity. Grade point average (GPA) and traditional demographic variables (eg, gender, race/ethnicity, in-state resident) served as surrogates of academic and personal identities, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between first-year retention and identity variables. RESULTS: Belonging, a domain of professional engagement, was positively related to first-year retention. In multivariable models, belonging and cumulative GPA were associated with increased odds of retention, while in-state status was associated with decreased odds. In separate models for those with GPA ≥3.00, and<3.00, belonging was associated with first-year retention in both. Belonging was also associated with first-semester retention, but not second-semester retention. CONCLUSION: A decision to leave a Doctor of Pharmacy program is complex, but the vast majority of the literature in pharmacy education appears to focus most intently on academic variables, including GPA. This study demonstrates that belonging, an important element in professional identity formation, remains related to first-year retention, even after controlling for grades and other personal variables. This finding unearths several theory-informed gems and strategies that educators may employ to enhance retention.

Interrogating Our Views on the Impact of Education-Related Scholarship.

From junior faculty members to seasoned full professors, pharmacy educators have likely all felt pressure to focus on peer-reviewed publication. Although publication is an important part of an academician's work, have we missed something critical by not focusing greater attention on a more inclusive conceptualization of education-related scholarship's impact? How can we describe the full impact of our education-related scholarship beyond traditional metrics (ie, publications, presentations, and grant funding) if the issue is not critically examined? With the growing expectations for scholarly teaching and interest in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in academic pharmacy in both the United States and Canada, this commentary examines and questions the current, often narrow, views on pharmacy educators' scholarly impact. In addition, it provides a new definition of education-related impact to encourage a more expansive view.

Indicators, influences, and changes in professional identity formation in early experiential learning in community pharmacy.

BACKGROUND: Experiential education is a key area in the pharmacy curriculum that professional identity formation (PIF) occurs. However, little is known about PIF influences and supports for pharmacy students during early experiential placements. The study aimed to explore pharmacy student PIF in an early experiential rotation in community pharmacy using reflective writing. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: First-year pharmacy students completed written reflections describing their professional identity and influencing experiences, before and after a four-week community introductory pharmacy practice experience. Qualitative content analysis of the written reflections was performed using three analytical approaches: (1) deductive coding based on professional identity indicators; (2) inductive coding to identify influences; and (3) inductive coding of field notes to identify changes between pre- and post-written reflections. FINDINGS: Twelve students participated. All participants described discrete professional attributes and behaviors and valuing a patient-centered approach as part of their professional identity. Participants reported observation of pharmacists, the curriculum, and previous work experience influenced PIF prior to the experiential rotation. A strong influencer of PIF during the rotation was observation of pharmacist preceptors, whereas participants' own experiences were described less often. Changes in professional identity among participants were subtle and categorized as affirmation, acquisition, and growth. SUMMARY: Pharmacy students' markers and influencers of PIF should be considered when developing curricular experiences and preceptor development that support PIF. The use of professional identity indicators and analysis of written reflections as a method to uncover PIF, shows promise and warrants further investigation.

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.

Capturing employer's perceptions of key variables in exceptional new practitioners' success by using a modified Delphi process.

INTRODUCTION: The primary aim was to determine the key variables in a new practitioner's success from the perspective of pharmacy employers. A secondary aim was to describe the use of a modified Delphi process to collect quality information from external constituents. METHODS: A historical review of the literature was conducted to ensure the inquiry extended existing thinking and to aid the development of questions. An asynchronous, online two-round modified Delphi process was used to gather input and develop consensus. The findings were verified by crosswalking with the Habits of Mind. Additionally, the strategies for inviting panelists, practitioner response rates, and the amount and quality of the data collected were examined. RESULTS: The historical review yielded 25 articles that were categorized by disciplines studied, methods used, and characteristics found. Fourteen seasoned employers participated. Nine themes describing the behaviors and practices of exceptional new practitioners were identified. These themes were categorized into three groups: Change-Leader, Self-Manager, or Relationship-Builder. Additionally, all the themes mapped to multiple Habits of Mind. As a method for constituent input, the Delphi process yielded employer response rates per school ranging from 10% to 67% and produced five single-spaced pages of text (2124 words) for analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These descriptions of behaviors and practices of exceptional new practitioners build upon existing literature and provide additional guidance for professional development curricula. Additionally, an asynchronous, online Delphi panel can be a useful method to glean important insights from experienced pharmacy employers.

Embarking as "Captain of the Ship" for the Curriculum Committee.

This commentary examines the curriculum chair's responsibilities and discusses considerations when assuming this role, using a "captain of the ship" metaphor. From knowing the crew to managing a diverse set of responsibilities, the path to becoming an effective chair is challenging and each captain's stripe must be earned. Advice is provided to assist with understanding the curriculum and governance processes, as well as the chair's various roles and professional development. The need for leadership and management is also emphasized.

Enhancing the "What" and "Why" of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process With the "How" of Clinical Reasoning.

Objectives. Clinical reasoning is integral to the provision of patient-centered care as outlined in the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP). However, the PPCP was not created to foster clinical reasoning in student pharmacists and cannot be the sole tool used to characterize or cultivate these skills. This article describes elements of clinical reasoning, the relationship between clinical reasoning and PPCP, and concepts from the clinical reasoning literature that should inform the teaching of clinical reasoning skills.Findings. Key elements of the PPCP were identified in clinical reasoning definitions, but differences emerged. The literature supports clinical reasoning as a bidirectional, fluid process that is highly collaborative. Effective clinical reasoning requires multiple types of "thinking," interaction with others and the environment, self-assessment, and a tolerance for nuance or ambiguity. Teaching strategies can be used in the didactic and experiential setting to target the cognitive and contextual factors associated with clinical reasoning.Summary. Educators should consult the literature to enhance our understanding of clinical reasoning in seeking to teach, model, and foster these skills in our students. Future scholarship should include the development of models to support clinical reasoning within the profession of pharmacy, adoption and experimentation with clinical reasoning teaching techniques, and valuation of the utility of various assessment tools and processes.

A Tool for Creating Snapshots of Faculty Contributions to Pharmacy Education.

Most faculty members' contributions to pharmacy education are significant but often challenging to document and describe. In addition, contributions may go unrecognized or rewarded unless the work results in a publication or presentation. Drawing on a metaphor of the importance of a fisher taking a photo to capture memories of a successful fishing trip, this commentary examines methods for faculty to identify and organize their academic contributions. Frameworks and a visual tool are presented to assist pharmacy educators in thinking systematically about the full breadth of education contributions. Using the frameworks and visualization tool provided, a more complete picture of education contributions can be developed, allowing educators to create visual "snapshots" of their work for others to see and appreciate.

Scholarly maturation and other factors supporting publishing productivity in educational scholarship for clinical faculty.

INTRODUCTION: In order to advance curricula and faculty career progression, it would be helpful to increase publishing success and productivity in educational scholarship. The objective of this study was to describe the key factors and strategies that contribute to publishing success and productivity in the publication of educational scholarship by clinical pharmacy faculty. METHODS: Participants were identified from 2007 to 2016 PubMed and Science Direct publication records or by having received the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Emerging Teaching Scholars Award. Participants were required to have an active clinical practice and not have administrative positions or doctor of philosophy training. Qualitative data were gathered through dyadic and individual interviews and analyzed to identify core factors contributing to publishing success and productivity. RESULTS: Nine clinical pharmacy faculty participated in dyadic or individual interviews, including seven associate professors and two professors. Participants' teaching and learning publications covered two to 13 topic areas, and participants had 20 to 70 unique co-authors. Five core factors and 17 strategies were identified as supporting publishing success and productivity in educational scholarship. The five factors included inputs/assets, the team, the project, the process, and scholarly maturation. CONCLUSIONS: Participants' responses confirm some conceptions, while also disputing common misconceptions that may discourage clinical faculty from pursuing educational scholarship. Fundamental research skill development is required in educational scholarship as in other scholarly areas. In addition, the roles of team building, receiving and providing mentorship, and the development of small significant networks merit further investigation as assets to productivity.

How to use the Delphi method to aid in decision making and build consensus in pharmacy education.

OUR SITUATION: As pharmacy educators, we often encounter situations such as designing new curricula or establishing shared values for an organization that may be ambiguous or controversial. To generate effective solutions, it is often necessary to build group consensus with key stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to describe and provide recommendations for using the Delphi method, a process for facilitating discussions and aiding in decision making. METHODOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW: An overview of the Delphi method, including its multiple variations, is presented. Steps necessary to complete a Delphi study (building a protocol, developing a research question, defining panelists and panel size, piloting the protocol, round one item creation and analysis, round two and beyond, consensus, increasing clarity, and reporting) is described. OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATION(S): Practical recommendations are provided to support use the Delphi method to build consensus in research. These recommendations include: (1) clarify the purpose of the Delphi, (2) ensure the research questions are grounded in the literature and are relevant, (3) carefully consider panelist processes, (4) determine any definitions that should be given to or developed by panelists, (5) determine methods for enhancing clarity, and (6) employ methods to reduce attrition. POTENTIAL IMPACT: The Delphi method provides a systematic approach to generating consensus in pharmacy education for commonly encountered situations such as committee meetings, research studies, faculty retreats, classroom activities, and lab meetings.

A Pathway to Professional Identity Formation: Report of the 2020-2021 AACP Student Affairs Standing Committee.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Professional identity formation (PIF) involves internalizing and demonstrating the behavioral norms, standards, and values of a professional community, such that one comes to "think, act and feel" like a member of that community. Professional identity influences how a professional perceives, explains, presents and conducts themselves. This report of the 2020-2021 AACP Student Affairs Standing Committee (SAC) describes the benefits of a strong professional identity, including its importance in advancing practice transformation. Responding to a recommendation from the 2019-2020 SAC, this report presents an illustrative and interpretative schema as an initial step towards describing a pharmacist's identity. However, the profession must further elucidate a universal and distinctive pharmacist identity, in order to better support pharmacists and learners in explaining and presenting the pharmacist's scope of practice and opportunities for practice change. Additionally, the report outlines recommendations for integrating intentional professional identity formation within professional curricula at colleges and schools of pharmacy. Although there is no standardized, single way to facilitate PIF in students, the report explores possibilities for meeting the student support and faculty development needs of an emerging new emphasis on PIF within the Academy.

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.

Unpacking student learning from an early experience with the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process.

BACKGROUND: To illuminate learning, a case study approach was used to examine early, authentic experiences within Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP)-focused practices. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY: Six students were matched with five practitioners and spent five half-days in a primary care clinic in a PPCP-committed health system. Students practiced interviewing, determining the patient's medication experience, and formulating the beginnings of the assessment, as well as observing and debriefing on the completion of the process by a practitioner mentor. The Five R Model was used to prompt student learning reflection. In addition, instructors examined students' work for evidence of transformative learning and observations were captured using forms of reflective practice and collaborative debriefing. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY: Reflection performance ratings varied; however, there was strong evidence of transformative learning for all students. Specifically, most student reflections demonstrated a focus on elaborating on existing frames of reference. The most prevalent indicator of transformative learning was exploration of options for new roles, relationships, and actions. The codes from instructors' observations revealed five categories of learning evidence, with the strongest in the patient centeredness category. The process of reviewing student work products, documenting instructor observations, and collaborative debriefing resulted in insights for curricular improvement and explanations for learning difficulties. Further work is needed in understanding student experiential learning intentions and their influence on learning and reflection. Additionally, further research should explore the value of longitudinal assessment of reflection and the value of assessing student work products using criteria beyond traditional reflection criteria.

Cultivating a Vibrant and Thriving Elective Curriculum in Pharmacy Schools.

Elective courses are required in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula in the United States, but they may receive less attention than required courses in the core curriculum. Elective courses can serve as a platform for innovation in, experimentation with, and implementation of high-impact educational practices. However, these benefits may not always be realized or maximized. We advocate for an "elective curriculum" that is strategically designed and intentionally planned and managed. Students, faculty members, and administrators all play important roles in creating this curriculum. To ensure the curriculum is vibrant and thriving, attention is needed to: alignment with institutional missions, meeting the postgraduation needs of students and employers, enhancing faculty development and faculty experience, strengthening partnerships within the university and/or external entities, and moving the profession forward.