Change in Student Pharmacists' Perceptions and Confidence of Pediatric Related Topics After Participation in Pediatric Pharmacy-Focused Skills Laboratory.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a pediatric pharmacy-focused skills laboratory on student pharmacist confidence and comfort with pediatric topics. This study compared student responses on a questionnaire completed both pre- and post-lab. The lab activities included pre-readings, a pre-lab lecture, and a 2-hour laboratory session. The questionnaire assessed perceptions related to counseling pediatric patients and confidence in communicating with children and caregivers. Wilcoxon rank sum tests compared the differences in the preand post-lab questionnaire results. The McNemar test was used to test for conversion. A total of 187 of 221 pharmacy students completed the pre-lab questionnaire (85% response rate) and 116 completed the post-lab questionnaire (52% response rate). Significantly higher confidence levels were reported in the post-lab questionnaire for 5 of the 7 questionnaire items. Specifically, concerning level of confidence in measuring oral solutions, 17.5% of students' pre-lab, compared with 42.6% post-lab felt completely confident in being able to determine the appropriate measuring devices for liquid medications. No statistically significant differences were noted regarding comfort level or knowledge. Although an increase in confidence was seen in several areas, some students still lacked confidence after the lab session, suggesting that more pediatric-focused activities may be needed in the curriculum to reinforce pediatric concepts.