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.

Exploring standardized persons' expectations for practice-readiness among student pharmacists.

Introduction: Although patient expectations and preferences for healthcare selection have been described in the literature, there are no studies exploring what qualities and behaviors standardized persons (SPs) identify for the practice-ready pharmacist. This manuscript explores those qualities and behaviors within an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to determine SP interest in having the student as their pharmacy provider.

Methods: Using open-ended questions via a Qualtrics survey, SPs were asked to provide qualities and behaviors they associated with each of three practice-readiness rating levels.

Exploring first-year student pharmacists' expectations in the classroom.

Introduction: The transition from Millennial to Generation Z learners will require health professions educators to reassess their approach not only to teaching, but also in the learning environment where they prepare the next generation of healthcare providers. With this generational transition, health professions programs are also being tasked with updated accreditation standards and evolving practice expectations that require curricular change.

Methods: This paper explores the teaching qualities and behaviors first-year student pharmacists associate with excellent teaching in pharmacy faculty.

Identifying future pharmacists: Development and implementation of a pharmacy camp experience.

Introduction: Hands-on learning continues to serve as a positive mechanism for gaining interest and increasing recruitment in the health professions. This paper explores the Harrison School of Pharmacy's (HSOP) development and implementation of a week-long pharmacy camp designed to engage learners through active learning experiences to provide early exposure to the pharmacy profession.

Methods: The planning committee was formed in fall 2016, with the inaugural camp occurring summer 2017.

Exploring the Impact of Participating as Pharmacy Camp Counselors on Student Pharmacists' Professional Identity.

To explore how participation as a pharmacy camp counselor impacted pharmacy students' professional identity and views on professionalism. A pharmacy camp was developed to introduce rising high school juniors and seniors to the pharmacy profession. First- and second-year student pharmacists were invited to serve as counselors and, afterward, to participate in a focus group to share their experiences.

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

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. 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.

Assessing student pharmacist communication skills: Development and implementation of a communication rubric.

Problem Description: Communication between healthcare providers and those they serve has become increasingly important as the need to prevent and manage chronic conditions has increased. To adequately learn these skills, future healthcare providers must be trained and assessed prior to entry into practice.

Quality Improvement Methods: With the implementation of an integrated curriculum, the Harrison School of Pharmacy developed a communication rubric to assess student pharmacists' patient communication skills.

Development and evolution of a two-day intensive resident experience in geriatric medicine.

As the older adult population increases, the need to enhance medical education and training in Geriatric Medicine (GM) is essential. To enhance resident training, faculty at two southeastern universities developed a Resident Award Summit, a two-day active learning experience, designed to expose family and internal medicine residents to GM principles and the various career options available in GM.Over 10 years, 353 residents from 108 residency programs participated.

Evolution and expansion of a resident teaching and learning program sponsored by a school of pharmacy.

Purpose: The evolution and expansion of a school of pharmacy-sponsored resident teaching and learning program (RTLP) are described.

Summary: Since its establishment in 2012, Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy's RTLP has grown to include up to 12 residency programs in Alabama and on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Florida. Program requirements include seminar attendance, teaching experiences and observations, and development of an electronic teaching portfolio.

The interprofessional clinical experience: interprofessional education in the nursing home.

The interprofessional clinical experience (ICE) was designed to introduce trainees to the roles of different healthcare professionals, provide an opportunity to participate in an interprofessional team, and familiarize trainees with caring for older adults in the nursing home setting. Healthcare trainees from seven professions (dentistry, medicine, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, optometry and social work) participated in ICE. This program consisted of individual patient interviews followed by a team meeting to develop a comprehensive care plan.

Advancing geriatric education: development of an interprofessional program for health care faculty.

To improve the health care of older adults, a faculty development program was created to enhance geriatric knowledge. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Geriatric Education Center leadership instituted a one-year, 36-hour curriculum focusing on older adults with complex health care needs. Content areas were chosen from the Institute of Medicine Transforming Health Care Quality report and a local needs assessment.

Creation of an interprofessional clinical experience for healthcare professions trainees in a nursing home setting.

Successful interprofessional teams are essential when caring for older adults with multiple complex medical conditions that require ongoing management from a variety of disciplines across healthcare settings. To successfully integrate interprofessional education into the healthcare professions curriculum, the most effective learning experiences should utilize adult learning principles, reflect real-life practice, and allow for interaction among trainees representing a variety of health professions. Interprofessional clinical experiences are essential to prepare future healthcare professionals to provide quality patient care and understand the best methods for utilizing members of the healthcare team to provide that care.

Enhancing long-term care for older adults: an exploration of interagency collaboration within geriatric education centers.

This article examines how the study of geriatric education provides a collaborative environment in which nonprofits can work together and with government in order to effectively manage the challenges in caring for older adults in the coming decades. The U.S.