Improving and Expanding Research on Burnout and Stress in the Academy.

Objective. To conduct an integrative review of existing literature evaluating burnout and stress to identify reliable, valid, psychometrically sound survey instruments that are frequently used in published studies and to provide best practices in conducting burnout and stress research within academic pharmacy.Findings. We reviewed 491 articles and found 11 validated reliable surveys to be most frequently cited in the literature that can be used in future burnout and stress research. We also noted frequent misunderstandings and misuse of burnout and stress terminology along with inappropriate measurement. Additionally, we identified a variety of useful websites during the review. Lastly, we identified a relative dearth of published research evaluating organizational solutions to burnout and stress beyond personal factors, ie, resilience.Summary. Burnout and stress among student pharmacists, faculty, and staff is an important research area that necessitates more robust, rigorous evaluation using validated reliable surveys with appropriate contextualization within psychological frameworks and theory. Future research evaluating organizational-level attempts to remedy sources of burnout and stress is also needed.

Strategies for Measuring Advances in Pharmacy Student Learning.

Objective. To provide guidance to authors and reviewers on how to design and evaluate educational research studies to better capture evidence of pharmacy student learning.Findings. A wide variety of assessment tools are available to measure student learning associated with educational innovations. Each assessment tool is associated with different advantages and disadvantages that must be weighed to determine the appropriateness of the tool for each situation. Additionally, the educational research design must be aligned with the intent of the study to strengthen its impact.Summary. By selecting research methods aligned with Kirkpatrick's levels of training evaluation, researchers can create stronger evidence of student learning when evaluating the effectiveness of teaching innovations.

Perspective from a Teaching and Learning Center During Emergency Remote Teaching.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities around the globe frantically and emergently switched to remote teaching. This commentary provides the perspective from a teaching and learning center about the difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning, plus suggestions for preparing for an online fall semester.

Perception of Learning Versus Performance as Outcome Measures of Educational Research.

Objective. To determine whether perception of student learning equates to learning gains. Methods. Two-hundred seventy-seven college-aged students and student pharmacists participated in the study. Participants were assessed before and after completing a reading intervention and reported their perceptions of learning by responding to various Likert-scale questions. Relationships between perception and performance were assessed by correlation analysis, trend analysis, and using measures of metacognitive accuracy. Results. There was a lack of correlation between measures of the perception of learning and actual gains in knowledge. There were weak correlations between the perception of learning and post-reading scores. Comparing student-pharmacists to college-aged individuals, both had similar metacognitive accuracy and there were little differences after the intervention. Conclusion. Perceptions of learning may not reflect knowledge gains, and perception data should be used cautiously as a surrogate for evidence of actual learning.

Improving and Restoring the Well-being and Resilience of Pharmacy Students during a Pandemic.

During times of stress, such as those experienced during the novel coronavirus identified in 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, pharmacy students handle the experience differently. For some, the experience may negatively impact their sense of well-being; for others, being at home with family could actually improve their well-being. While students are completing academic work at home and after they finally return to campus, pharmacy schools need to be keenly aware of students' experiences and implement strategies to build their resilience and improve their well-being. One approach will not meet the needs of all students. Many of the challenges that pharmacy students have faced or will face when they return to the classroom are discussed along with some programs and activities that have proven successful.

Measuring Up - Defining the Quality of PharmD Programs.

Objective. To define quality and associated metrics related to Doctor of Pharmacy degree programs. Methods. A three round Delphi process and online survey tool were employed to constitute and query an expert panel of randomly selected pharmacy deans representing a proportional share of public and private schools. Participants were asked about measures used to evaluate the quality of their schools; agreement was assessed for each quality category and metric identified; rankings were reported in order of importance. Results. Deans from 15 public pharmacy schools and 17 private pharmacy schools agreed to participate. Nine quality categories and 35 specific quality metrics were identified. Both public and private school leaders identified and agreed on nine categories of quality measures, with "placement" ranked as the most important measurement category. Conclusion. Identifying categories and metrics to assess quality may provide a foundation from which to compare quality across institutions.

An Assessment of Service-Learning in 34 US Schools of Pharmacy Follow Up on the 2001 Professional Affairs Committee Report.

Objective. To determine if the service-learning components used at a convenience sample of schools and colleges of pharmacy meet the intent of the 2001 AACP Professional Affairs Committee (PAC) report. Methods. An online questionnaire was used to survey faculty members or staff involved with service-learning education at their school of pharmacy. Questions addressed aspects of service-learning including types of activities used, duration of student involvement with community partners, and association of learning objectives with service-learning activities. Results. The majority (85.3%) of respondents reported their institution used service-learning. Activities reported as part of service-learning ranged from working at health fairs to involvement with pharmacy school recruitment. More than half (64.3%) of service-learning activities involved long-term interactions with one community partner, and 74.1% of respondents indicated there was always an opportunity for student reflection on the service-learning activity. Conclusion. There is increasing though inconsistent application of PAC guidelines regarding service-learning.

Publication Rates for Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Members at Nonresearch-Intensive US Schools of Pharmacy.

OBJECTIVE: To provide benchmarking data for faculty productivity by determining publication rates for pharmaceutical sciences faculty members at nonresearch-intensive schools and colleges of pharmacy between January 2010 and December 2013. METHODS: Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched using faculty names from the AACP faculty and professional staff roster. Annual publication rates were calculated and compared for various demographic subcategories. RESULTS: The average annual publication rate for the 4-year period was 0.82 per faculty member, and 10.95 per institution. Publication rates were significantly higher in departments offering a PhD program or with NIH funding. CONCLUSION: Because institutional missions are diverse, it can be useful to evaluate faculty scholarly productivity in relation to similar organizations. Pharmaceutical science faculty members at nonresearch-intensive institutions contribute to the literature despite institutional missions less focused on research.

A cross-sectional study of applied bioethical reasoning in pharmacy students and preceptors.

OBJECTIVE: To compare ethical principles most often utilized by pharmacy students and preceptors to determine plan of action for an ethical dilemma and to determine if ethical principles utilized are the same for individuals in the postconventional range. METHOD: A two part survey was administered to a convenience sample of pharmacy students and preceptors. The first part was comprised of an original measure, the Pharmacy Ethical Dilemmas Survey (PEDS), that was developed to assess participants' action choices on healthcare-related ethical dilemmas and which moral rule or ethical principle was most influential in their decision. The second part was comprised of the Defining Issues Test. RESULTS: Patient autonomy and non-maleficience were the primary bioethical principles applied by students but pharmacists applied non-maleficience, patient autonomy, and also pharmacist autonomy. For all scenarios, students were more likely to rely on the principle of beneficence, while preceptors were more likely to rely on the pharmacist's right to autonomy. In the analysis of application of bioethical principles by higher and lower principled reasoning individuals, only in the assisted suicide scenario did the two groups agree on the primary principle applied with both groups relying predominantly on patient autonomy. CONCLUSION: Students and preceptors utilize different bioethical principles to support how they would handle each ethical dilemma but P-scores do not play a role in determining which bioethical principles were used to justify their action choices.

A cross-sectional study of applied bioethical reasoning in pharmacy students and preceptors / Estudio transversal de razonamiento bioético aplicado en estudiantes de farmacia y tutores

Objective: To compare ethical principles most often utilized by pharmacy students and preceptors to determine plan of action for an ethical dilemma and to determine if ethical principles utilized are the same for individuals in the postconventional range Method: A two part survey was administered to a convenience sample of pharmacy students and preceptors. The first part was comprised of an original measure, the Pharmacy Ethical Dilemmas Survey (PEDS), that was developed to assess participants’ action choices on healthcare-related ethical dilemmas and which moral rule or ethical principle was most influential in their decision. The second part was comprised of the Defining Issues Test. Results: Patient autonomy and non-maleficience were the primary bioethical principles applied by students but pharmacists applied non-maleficience, patient autonomy, and also pharmacist autonomy. For all scenarios, students were more likely to rely on the principle of beneficence, while preceptors were more likely to rely on the pharmacist’s right to autonomy. In the analysis of application of bioethical principles by higher and lower principled reasoning individuals, only in the assisted suicide scenario did the two groups agree on the primary principle applied with both groups relying predominantly on patient autonomy. Conclusion: Students and preceptors utilize different bioethical principles to support how they would handle each ethical dilemma but P-scores do not play a role in determining which bioethical principles were used to justify their action choices (AU)

Objetivo: Compararlos principios éticos más comúnmente utilizados por los estudiantes de farmacia y los tutores para determinar el plan de acción ante un dilema ético, y determinar si los principios éticos utilizados son los mismos para individuos en fase post-convencional. Método: Un cuestionario en dos partes se administró a una muestra de conveniencia de estudiantes de farmacia y tutores. La primera parte estaba formada por una medida original, el Pharmacy Ethical Dilemmas Survey (PEDS), que se desarrolló para evaluar la elección de acciones de los participantes sobre dilemas éticos relacionaos con la salud y cuáles eran sus reglas morales o principios éticos más influyentes en sus decisiones. La segunda parte estaba formada por el Defining Issues Test. Resultados: La autonomía del paciente y la no maleficencia eran los principios bioéticos aplicados por los estudiantes, pero los farmacéuticos aplicaban la no maleficencia, la autonomía del paciente, pero también la autonomía del farmacéutico. En todos los escenarios los estudiantes confiaban más en el principio de beneficencia, mientras que los tutores tenían más probabilidad de confiar en el derecho de autonomía del farmacéutico. En el análisis de la aplicación de los principios bioéticos por los individuos con más y con menos razona miento basado en principios, sólo en el escenario del suicidio asistido los dos grupos estuvieron de acuerdo en que el principio más importante a ser aplicado era el de autonomía del paciente. Conclusión: Los estudiantes y los tutores utilizan diferentes principios bioéticos para apoyar el manejo de dilemas éticos, pero las puntuaciones P no determinan que principios bioéticos fueron usados en su selección de acciones (AU)