Impact of an Aging Simulation Game on Pharmacy Students’ Empathy for Older Adults

Objective. To evaluate changes in empathy and perceptions as well as game experiences among student pharmacists participating in an aging simulation game. Methods. First-year student pharmacists participated in an aging simulation game. Changes were measured pre/post-activity using the Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale (KCES) and Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Health Professions Scale (JSE-HPS) for empathy and the Aging Simulation Experience Survey (ASES) for perceptions of older adults’ experiences and game experiences. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to determine changes. Results. One hundred fifty-six student pharmacists completed the instruments. Empathy using the KCES and JSE-HPS improved significantly. Of the 13 items in the ASES, 9 significantly improved. Conclusion. Simulation games may help students overcome challenges demonstrating empathy and positive attitudes toward elderly patients. Read More: http://www.ajpe.org/doi/abs/10.5688/ajpe7956

Fostering Interdisciplinary Communication Between Pharmacy and Nursing Students

Objective. To evaluate pharmacy and nursing student self-perceptions of interdisciplinary communication skills, faculty member perceptions of interdisciplinary communication skills, and changes in those skills after increasing the interdisciplinary education content. Design. Two cohorts of pharmacy and nursing (bachelors of science in nursing, BSN) students in respective, semester-long research courses engaged in active learning on interdisciplinary communication, with the second cohort receiving additional content on the topic. At semester completion, students presented a research project at an interdisciplinary poster session. Assessment. Self-, peer-, and faculty evaluations (4 items; 5-point Likert-type) assessing self-confidence and actual interdisciplinary communication skills were completed during the poster session. Overall, students responded they were “very confident” or “extremely confident” regarding the skills, with greater confidence reported by the second cohort. Faculty members agreed that students exhibited effective interdisciplinary communication skills, with stronger agreement for the second cohort. Conclusion. Including interdisciplinary education and experiences in a curriculum increases students’ interdisciplinary communication skills. Using multiple interdisciplinary experiences may result in greater increases in these skills

A Graduate Student Mentoring Program to Develop Interest in Research

Objective. To assess the impact of a graduate student mentoring program on student interest in research and postgraduate education and on graduate student confidence in mentoring. Methods. Undergraduate and pharmacy students (mentees) and graduate students (mentors) were matched and participated in the study, which required them to engage in at least 2 discussions regarding research and careers. Mentees completed a pre- and post-assessment of their perceptions of research, postgraduate training plans, and perceptions about mentors. Mentors completed a pre- and post-assessment of their perceptions about themselves as mentors and their confidence in mentoring. Results. Although there were no significant differences among the mentees’ perceptions of research or the mentors’ confidence in mentoring, qualitative analysis indicated that the mentees’ perceptions of research improved and that the mentors believed their mentoring skills improved. Conclusions. Based on the results of the qualitative analysis, implementing a graduate student mentoring program may help improve students’ perceptions of research and graduate students’ confidence in mentoring, which could increase student interest in postgraduate education and prepare mentors for future leadership roles

Economics as a Source of National Power

War by Other Means: Geoeconomics and Statecraft, by Robert D. Blackwill and Jennifer Harri

Use of Myers-Briggs Personality Types in the Distribution of Students to Team-Based Learning Groups

Objectives: To examine students\u27 perceptions of team-based learning (TBL) and the level of confidence associated with the learning format when distributed into teams consisting of diverse personality types and gender. Methods: Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning tool where students are organized into teams for a specified term but little data exists regarding the best method of distributing students into teams. TBL was utilized in two pharmacy courses. Prior to the start of the 2012 academic year, students completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) personality test. Students were separated into nine teams of diverse MBTI® types and gender. Pre- and post-tests, administered at the beginning and end of the semester, were utilized to assess the students\u27 perceptions of TBL and the level of confidence associated with the learning format. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were performed in SPSS. Results: A total of 53 students were distributed into teams; 26 students (50 percent) were extroverts and a total of 21 students (40 percent) were identified as Sensing-Thinking-Judging MBTI® type

Student Perceptions of Team-based Learning vs Traditional Lecture-based Learning

Objective. To evaluate pharmacy student perceptions of team-based learning (TBL) vs traditional lecture-based learning formats. Methods. First professional year pharmacy students (N5111) at two universities used TBL in different courses during different semesters (fall vs spring). Students completed a 22-item team perceptions instrument before and after the fall semester. A 14-item teaching style preference instrument was completed at the end of the spring semester. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results. Students who experienced TBL in the fall and went back to traditional format in the spring reported improved perceptions of teams and preferred TBL format over a traditional format more than students who experienced a traditional format followed by TBL. Students at both universities agreed that the TBL format assists with critical-thinking, problem-solving, and examination preparation. Students also agreed that teams should consist of individuals with different personalities and learning styles. Conclusion. When building teams, faculty members should consider ways to diversify teams by considering different views, perspectives, and strengths. Offering TBL early in the curriculum prior to traditional lecture-based formats is better received by students, as evidenced by anecdotal reports from students possibly because it allows students time to realize the benefits and assist them in building teamwork-related skills

Pharmaceutical systematics: Description and preliminary investigation of an alternative method for structuring drug information

Objectives: To identify the 30 most common adverse drug events or reactions (ADE/ADRs) within the top 200 medications: (1) by raw incidence, (2) weighted by prescription volume, (3) and weighted by retail dollars. Methods: The Pharmacy Times Top 200 Medications (as ranked by prescription volume) was utilized to identify the top 200 medications in 2008. The ADE/ADRs for each medication were obtained from Facts and Comparisons, Micromedex, and Lexi-Comp and entered into a database. These ADE/ADRs were compiled and summed, identifying the number of times each appeared. These then were ranked to identify the 30 most common ADE/ADRs. The actual prescription volume and total retail dollars for each medication were obtained and listed next to each medication's ADE/ADR. The incidence of each ADE/ADR then was weighted by actual prescription volume and retail dollars to determine the top 30 most common ADE/ADRs. Results: Initial evaluation resulted in 9829 individual ADE/ADRs and summed into 1477 distinct ADE/ADRs, after adjusting for interchangeable terminology. Examples of the 30 most common ADE/ADRs (raw incidence) included: dizziness/vertigo, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea/loose stools. The list remained the same after weighting by actual prescription volume. After weighting by retail dollars, the order of ADE/ADRs changed slightly. Conclusion: Knowledge of ADE/ADRs is important for pharmacists in all healthcare settings. Consolidating ADE/ADRs for medications may enable pharmacists to recall the most common side effects and aid in earlier identification of ADE/ADRs, which may positively impact patient safety across practice settings. Type: Original Researc