Frequency, setting and influential factors associated with pharmacy student-patient encounters involving spirituality and religiosity during advanced practice rotations

A Blended Learning Approach to Teaching Medication Use and Perspectives on Spirituality in Pharmacy Practice

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess students' proficiency and perspectives regarding the role of spirituality in pharmacy practice using a blended learning approach.

METHODS

Students viewed online preclass videos on general spirituality and 5 major religions in the United States. Next, students attended an interactive lecture followed by a simulated counseling session. Lastly, students completed an anonymous, 38-question, electronic perspective survey. The items were grouped into scales, and the results were compared using paired-sample t tests. Effect sizes were measured by Cohen's d. Additionally, students could opt to complete a reflection assignment on this activity as part of a concurrent course. A content analysis qualitative approach was utilized to assess these reflections.

RESULTS

All students (N = 125) completed the counseling session, and 113 (90.4%) completed the survey. The mean score on the counseling session rubric was 94.8%, demonstrating students' skills in recognizing spiritual concerns in simulated patient interactions. All perspective scale scores indicated a statistically significant change from pre to post, with the greatest change demonstrated in empathic perspective-taking (medium effect), followed by anxiety and lack of multicultural self-efficacy, religious/spiritual openness, and desire to learn (small effects). Students agreed that the instruction helped prepare them as a pharmacist (mean = 5.41) and that hearing from people with authentic experiences was valuable (mean = 5.40). Major learning themes included individualizing care, respect for beliefs, learning about diverse backgrounds, and prohibited medications.

CONCLUSION

Students performed well in counseling patients regarding medication-related spiritual needs using a blended learning approach. In addition, the students perceived an increase in empathy while addressing spiritual considerations in patient care.

Student Pharmacists' Reflections on Personal and Professional Development Following a Series of Longitudinal Faith-Based Courses

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore how integrating Judeo-Christian religious education into the pharmacy curriculum influences students' spiritual and moral development, professional values, and mindset, preparing them for future holistic health care practice.

METHODS

A series of Judeo-Christian faith-based courses were integrated into the required Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum with the aim of developing student pharmacists' moral foundation for future health care roles. Student reflections from these courses were compiled and analyzed using WordStat, combining natural language processing and statistical analysis. Content analysis included word cloud visualization, word co-occurrence, phrase extraction, and topic modeling. Thematic analysis with a deductive coding approach was applied. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze coding frequencies.

RESULTS

Word cluster analysis revealed frequently cited and co-occurring words, including God, patient, care, life, love, ethics, personal, professional, health, and people. The frequently occurring phrases included patient care, professional ethics, personal ethics, and professional developments. The topics with high coherence values included love and compassion, empathetic care, caring health professionals, patient care, and leadership based on biblical principles. The major themes that emerged included spiritual growth and connection with God, the cultivation of virtues and ethical principles in personal development, and integration of faith into professional commitments for these aspiring professionals.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that integrating spiritual and religious education into the pharmacy curriculum helps students develop a strong moral foundation, guiding their future practice with compassion and integrity.

Pharmacy students' attitudes and beliefs about spirituality and spiritual care in professional education in Zimbabwe

INTRODUCTION

A majority of Zimbabweans are religious and/or spiritual. Spirituality and spiritual care (SC) are important parts of patient care. The study's objective was to investigate pharmacy students' attitudes/beliefs about spirituality and SC in pharmacy education and practice in Zimbabwe.

METHODS

This cross-sectional descriptive nationwide study gathered data from pharmacy students at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and Harare Institute of Technology. The 38-item survey measured students' spirituality and SC perspectives and their religious and demographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Most respondents were Christian (89%), female (54%), and attended the UZ (63%). Slightly over half agreed/strongly agreed that they "would like to undertake coursework that will make them competent in providing SC to patients" (52%), SC education would improve their clinical performance (51%), and education that promotes spiritual well-being or integration will make them more empathetic and compassionate practitioners (63%). Pharmacy students also believed that more education on spirituality should be given to pharmacy students (48%), SC is an important part of pharmacy practice (74%), "discussing patients' spiritual or religious beliefs can improve the pharmacist-patient relationship" (74%), and anticipated to incorporate spirituality into professional practice upon graduation (50%).

CONCLUSIONS

Most pharmacy students in Zimbabwe considered themselves spiritual/religious and had positive perceptions about spirituality and SC in pharmacy education and practice. There was a positive association between students' personal religiosity and their beliefs about SC. Students anticipated that SC would be incorporated into their education and future professional practice and indicated they wanted more education and training to feel competent in SC.

An online survey to describe pharmacy student spirituality and spiritual care perspectives

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about student pharmacists' perspectives of spirituality and spiritual care (SC) in pharmacy education and practice. The purpose of this study was to examine student pharmacists' perspectives about spirituality and incorporating SC in pharmacy education and practice.

METHODS

Student pharmacists were recruited from two private pharmacy schools in California, one religiously-affiliated and one non-religiously affiliated. A faculty member at each school invited student pharmacists via email or through Zoom (Zoom Video Communications) chat to complete the 37-item online survey through an embedded link. The investigator-designed survey was comprised of 22 items inquiring about spirituality and SC as well as several items assessing demographic and religious characteristics.

RESULTS

Participants included 470 student pharmacists (87.2% response rate) who were 28.9 ± 5.7 years old on average. Half of the respondents (50.5%) attended the non-religiously affiliated university. Most of the respondents were female (67%), Christian (67.8%), spiritual (79.2%), and religious (75.2%). They "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that: "understanding patients' spiritual beliefs is an important part of pharmacy practice" (83%), "I would pray with my patients as a pharmacist" (54.8%), "it is appropriate for a pharmacist to have spiritual or religious conversations with patients" (52.9%), and "it is appropriate for a pharmacist to pray with and for patients who request it" (66.9%). These beliefs were positively correlated with self-reported religiosity and spirituality.

CONCLUSIONS

Most students considered themselves spiritual and religious and felt that spirituality and learning about SC were important. The respondents' SC perspectives were associated with their religiosity and spirituality.

Interventions involving spiritual and religious themes in pharmacy student patient encounters during advanced practice rotations

INTRODUCTION

Patient spiritual and religious beliefs can impact their health care choices and outcomes. Pharmacists and other health care providers need to be prepared when these beliefs present changes from usual medical care. The objective of this research brief was to describe interventions related to spirituality and/or religion that are encountered by students during advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) patient care activities.

METHODS

Fourth-year pharmacy students were asked to complete a web-based questionnaire defining the frequency and setting of patient care activities that incorporated spiritual beliefs during APPEs. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Sixty-three students completed the questionnaire. The most common theme encountered was that of patient refusal of specific therapy based on patient's spiritual or religious beliefs. This result remained consistent across multiple practice settings, except in the community practice setting, where product substitution due to a religious forbidden ingredient was the most common theme encountered.

CONCLUSIONS

Training for future and current pharmacists should provide them with the tools needed to navigate spiritual and religious-focused barriers, such as patient refusal of care and substitutes for religiously forbidden ingredients.