Christiansen, Mark Oral History Interview

Director, Clinical Professor, and Department Chair of School of Health Sciences, Physician Assistant (2015-2022). Topics include: Start of Physician Assistant Program at Pacific; Renovations of Maddox Building; Establishment of Health Science presence on Sacramento campus; Foundational work on School of Health Sciences new programs; and Successful accreditation through provisional program to continuing.https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/esohc/1157/thumbnail.jp

Peer Teaching in an Interprofessional Education Activity Focused on Professional Skills Development.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a peer-taught interprofessional education (IPE) activity on pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) student self-assessed confidence and attitudes related to professional skills. First-year pharmacy (n = 210) and PA (n = 45) students participated in a two-hour IPE activity. Forty-five teams consisting of one PA and at least four pharmacy students completed three peer-teaching stations focused on diabetes device education, pulmonary device teaching/case workup, and physical assessment skills. Students completed a pre- and post-activity confidence survey and a post-activity attitudes survey. For pharmacy students, highest confidence gains were noted on the items related to performing a physical exam. For PA students, largest gains were noted on the items related to insulin delivery systems. Eighty-three percent of students either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement I learned things during this IPE activity that I will implement in clinical practice. Seventy six percent of students felt that the physical assessment station was beneficial or very beneficial to their learning. A vast majority of students noted the IPE activity somewhat or definitely enhanced their communication with other health professionals and promoted a climate of mutual respect. In conclusion, peer teaching improved student attitudes and confidence

Comparison of an In-Person versus a Virtual Interprofessional Education Activity Focused on Professional Communication

Early provision of interprofessional education (IPE) is imperative to ensure effective communication between healthcare professionals. However, there are several barriers to offering adequate IPE, including space restrictions and lack of human resources, prompting exploration of alternative modalities. In 2019, an IPE activity was offered in person with 213 pharmacy and 45 physician assistant (PA) students participating in one-on-one team huddles focusing on managing an acutely ill patient. In 2020, the same IPE activity, including 194 pharmacy and 45 PA students, was offered virtually. Peer evaluations, an attitudes survey, and confidence surveys were administered to evaluate the impact of the IPE activity. A student t-test and descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the data. On average, PA students in the virtual group rated their peers higher than PA students in the in-person group, with little difference in the pharmacy peer evaluation of their PA partner. Ninety percent of pharmacy students and 91% of PA students in the virtual group felt that “they learned something new regarding therapeutic management” from their partner versus 84% of pharmacy and 81% of PA students in the in-person group. In conclusion, using a virtual modality for a communications-focused IPE was not detrimental to student attitudes and did not adversely affect peer perceptions

Peer Teaching in an Interprofessional Education Activity Focused on Professional Skills Development

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a peer-taught interprofessional education (IPE) activity on pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) student self-assessed confidence and attitudes related to professional skills. First-year pharmacy (n = 210) and PA (n = 45) students participated in a two-hour IPE activity. Forty-five teams consisting of one PA and at least four pharmacy students completed three peer-teaching stations focused on diabetes device education, pulmonary device teaching/case workup, and physical assessment skills. Students completed a pre- and post-activity confidence survey and a post-activity attitudes survey. For pharmacy students, highest confidence gains were noted on the items related to performing a physical exam. For PA students, largest gains were noted on the items related to insulin delivery systems. Eighty-three percent of students either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I learned things during this IPE activity that I will implement in clinical practice.” Seventy six percent of students felt that the physical assessment station was “beneficial or very beneficial” to their learning. A vast majority of students noted the IPE activity “somewhat or definitely” enhanced their communication with other health professionals and promoted a climate of mutual respect. In conclusion, peer teaching improved student attitudes and confidence

Peer Teaching in an Interprofessional Education Activity Focused on Professional Skills Development.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a peer-taught interprofessional education (IPE) activity on pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) student self-assessed confidence and attitudes related to professional skills. First-year pharmacy (n = 210) and PA (n = 45) students participated in a two-hour IPE activity. Forty-five teams consisting of one PA and at least four pharmacy students completed three peer-teaching stations focused on diabetes device education, pulmonary device teaching/case workup, and physical assessment skills. Students completed a pre- and post-activity confidence survey and a post-activity attitudes survey. For pharmacy students, highest confidence gains were noted on the items related to performing a physical exam. For PA students, largest gains were noted on the items related to insulin delivery systems. Eighty-three percent of students either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement I learned things during this IPE activity that I will implement in clinical practice. Seventy six percent of students felt that the physical assessment station was beneficial or very beneficial to their learning. A vast majority of students noted the IPE activity somewhat or definitely enhanced their communication with other health professionals and promoted a climate of mutual respect. In conclusion, peer teaching improved student attitudes and confidence

Exploration of the Patient Experiences of a University LGBTQ+ Community: A Preliminary Analysis

PURPOSE: This qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences of people from a university LGBTQ+ community to inform health professional training in the interprofessional education setting. METHODS: Focus groups and semi-structured interviews from the University of the Pacific LGBTQ+ community were conducted by the researchers. Participants were recruited through campus-wide notification and fliers. Focus groups were held virtually on Zoom. Participants were asked to de-identify any identifying information. Informed consent and basic demographic information were obtained electronically. Participants were asked to reflect on personal experiences of their interactions within the healthcare system. The focus groups consisted of open-ended questions addressing the participants’ positive and negative healthcare experiences and how they felt their healthcare providers could have improved. The recordings were transcribed and coded for preliminary analysis. RESULTS: Seven students, faculty and staff participated in this study. Several themes emerged from the focus group interviews: 1.) Patient inclusion in shared decision-making 2.) Avoiding stereotypes 3.) Need to educate on whole-person care 4.) The importance of empathy. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insight into the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community. The results reinforce the need to educate healthcare profession students on aspects of LGBTQ+ health to ensure a patient-centered approach