ADVANCED CLINICAL INTERNSHIP PRECEPTOR
The Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor is an integral and vital part of the total educational experience of the Doctor of Pharmacy pharmacy student. The importance of this role cannot be overemphasized. In assuming the responsibility for training and educating a student, the preceptor displays to the public, his/her peers, and other health professionals a commitment to the advancement of the profession through the provision of quality pharmaceutical care.
In assuming this role of teacher and mentor, the preceptor must foster the development of a strong sense of mutual admiration and professional courtesy. While working on a one-to-one basis, the preceptor assumes much more than a teacher and pharmacist role model. The preceptor must identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses, while concomitantly providing an atmosphere whereby the student may grow intellectually as well as professionally.
The preceptor must recognize that the student’s greatest deficiency is inexperience, while the preceptor’s greatest asset is knowledge through experience. The student will be able to share with the preceptor newly acquired clinical and scientific knowledge and, in turn, the preceptor will guide the student through the application of that knowledge to daily professional practice. The preceptor may therefore not only teach, but learn as well.
Preceptor Selection
The Pharmacy Director (and delegates) and the Doctor of Pharmacy Program Director will identify potential preceptors at each practice site. These potential preceptors will be asked to provide a Curriculum Vitae and a completed application form for review and approval by Qatar University College of Pharmacy. To be approved as a preceptor, the candidate must :
- Possess an advanced clinical pharmacy degree (or equivalent);
Be a licensed pharmacist with at least two years of clinical experience;
Have a a recognized area of clinical pharmacy practice;
Have a desire to participate as a preceptor and to assume an adjunct faculty status;
Be willing to participate in the preceptor training process and continuing pharmacy professional development programs;
Be willing to be responsible as a mentor for the student and adhere to rotation requirements (e.g. student activities and learning requirements);
Be willing to complete the student evaluation tools;
Have good communication skills;
Available for most (if not all) of the rotation dates;
- Be willing to undergo assessment by the Program Director and student for the purpose of continuous quality improvement.
Preceptor Responsibilities
The preceptor is responsible for the following:
Review and be adherent with the information contained in Advanced Clinical Internship materials;
Assume personal responsibility for patient outcomes;
Demonstrate a desire and an aptitude for teaching;
Practice continuing professional development;
Collaborate with other healthcare professionals as a member of a team;
Participate in activities of local, state, and/or national professional organizations;
Supervise the student and review, in detail, expectations for the student with respect to the following: appearance, performance, site-specific processes of prescription processing, and patient care responsibilities;
Allow adequate time for communication and be willing to discuss aspects of professional practice in accordance with ethical, moral, and legal standards;
Schedule an orientation session with the student(s);
Identify an acceptable replacement to supervise students during any absence;
Not assume student competency, but determine it by reviewing the student’s performance through observation, assessment, and discussions;
Provide an atmosphere conducive to optimal learning;
Provide sufficient reference materials for the provision of information to patients, pharmacists, and other health care professionals. It is mandatory that the preceptor have access to the internet and email;
Inform students of any area requiring improvement as early as possible. Be responsible for reviewing student progress at regular intervals during the experience, and for sharing the observations with the students;
Not enter into any personal or professional relationship with a student that would jeopardize or interfere with objectivity or effective teaching;
Verify student attainment of learning objectives for each level of experiential training;
Complete, review, and submit a midpoint and final evaluation of the student to the Program Director in a timely fashion.
Providing Constructive Feedback
In order for students to determine their progress and improve their skills, constructive feedback from the preceptor is necessary. Feedback is not the same as evaluation.
Feedback focuses on explaining why something is right or wrong and offers suggestions for improvement; it is given continuously with the emphasis on learning.
Evaluation says how bad or good something is. It is judging and is usually given at the end of an assignment. Some points to consider which may be helpful in providing feedback to the student are:
Feedback should be regular and ongoing e.g., on a daily or every other day basis. Students are usually anxious to know how they are performing and most prefer more feedback than they often receive.
Feedback should be based on your actual observation of the student.
Relate feedback to a specific situation and try to give it as soon after the fact as possible.
Feedback should be given in the spirit of caring and concern. It should not be viewed as threatening or punitive. The student should be assured that you have his/her best interests at heart and that you want him/her to succeed.
Ask the student to rate her handling of a particular situation or task. Students will often identify the same areas of weakness as the preceptor. This allows them to bring up negative points first, which can help make the feedback process a more positive experience for both.
Use nonjudgmental language and be as specific as possible. Labels such as brilliant, wonderful or poor are not, by themselves, constructive. They do not let the students know specifically what they did that was effective and what was not. Likewise, a general comment such as, "For a first year student, you did fine", provides the student with little information on which to base changes in behavior. Therefore, in place of brilliant, it is more helpful to use objective comments, for example, "Your review of the therapeutic alternatives was thorough and included all the options worth considering."
Help build self-confidence by providing positive feedback on a job well done. Recognize the student’s accomplishments and acknowledge strengths.
Focus feedback on behaviors which can be changed (e.g., actions, skills, attitudes) and performance rather than on personality traits.
When criticism is warranted, the preceptor should ensure it is constructive, empathetic, and conveyed privately to the student.
Finally, the amount of feedback that is given at any one time should be limited. Feedback, particularly if it is negative, can be overwhelming. Most students, especially during the early stages of their learning, can deal with only one topic at a time.
DOCTOR OF PHARMACY STUDENT
The primary goal of the advanced clinical internships is to provide opportunities for Doctor of Pharmacy students to develop advanced clinical practice knowledge, skills and attitudes. The program is intended to help the student further integrate previous classroom training and concurrent self-study with advanced pharmacy practice experience. The program will also provide networking opportunities for future employment. Although the preceptor’s first duty is to their patients, the student should remember that they are also available to provide assistance, mentoring, and assessment.
Student Responsibilities
The student is responsible for the following:
Be knowledgeable of and adherent to the material contained in this manual;
Contact the preceptor one week prior to the start of the internship to confirm arrangements and to provide the preceptor with the student's learning portfolio;
Be responsible for all expenses, housing, or fees incurred during the internships;
Identify yourself as a graduate student pharmacist in interactions with patients and other healthcare professionals;
Be present at the practice site for at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week;
Be present for any required meetings;
Adhere to internship schedule and deadlines for assignments;
Demonstrate professionalism at all time. Students are expected to be respectful and courteous at all times to preceptors, other health care professionals, and patients encountered during the course of their internships;
Be willing to admit that they do not know something, and to seek help when necessary;
Seek advice and directions from the preceptor. The student should never publicly question the advice or directions of a preceptor; rather these issues should be discussed in private. Students and preceptors are encouraged to discuss any conflicts with the Program Director;
Take an active role in learning, communication, and participation in the internships;
Communicate effectively with physicians, patients, and other healthcare professionals, but only under the direct supervision and authorization of their preceptor;
Abide by the laws and regulations that govern pharmacy practice and seek clarification from the preceptor when necessary;
Submit evaluation forms to the Program Director by the due date.
- Be familiar with the college policies and procedures regarding abuse of substances or alcohol. Evidence of substance or alcohol abuse by a student is reason for immediate sanction and possible termination from the program.
References: Westberg, J. and H. Jason. Collaborative Clinical Education: The Foundation of Effective Health Care. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1993. Some of the above information is adapted, with permission, from the "Information for Preceptors" section of the Pharmacy 2081.00A, Preceptor’s Manual, College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, Practice Experience Program.