(81) Optimizing Our Skills Labs to Improve Quality of Learning

Objective : To optimize skills labs pedagogical model and develop pharmacy students’ abilities and competencies to practice new activities to their full extended scope, as granted by the Quebec government’s regulatory changes.

Methods: A literature review summarizing best practices in pharmacy skills labs was conducted. Competency enhancement needs were discussed during focus groups with over 80 participants including students, recent graduates, professors, preceptors, instructors, and other stakeholders. Members of the working group visited three simulation labs and held nine semi-structured interviews with Canadian, American and Australian skills labs directors to discuss their practices, organization, facilities, resource allocation, and overall challenges. Finally, the working group evaluated the need for additional resources such as material, space and information technology (IT) solutions.

Results: Based on the focus-group discussions, the interviews and the simulation labs’ visits, seven competency enhancements needs were identified: (1) communication, (2) teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration, (3) ethical practice, (4) physical and mental assessments, (5) supervision and management of pharmacy services, (6) professional role, and (7) personal behaviour (stress management, reflective thinking, and empathy). To meet these seven competency enhancement needs and optimize quality of learning, the working group proposed an updated skills labs educational model. The new Simulation and Virtual Reality Center will provide virtual simulation, interprofessional telesimulation, simulations in “mocked" community pharmacies, and a hospital environment discovery room. The current lab environment will be remodeled to include new physical facilities. IT support will also be crucial to the implementation of the project.

Conclusions: The new skills labs educational model is intended to provide pharmacy students with an optimal learning experience in a progressive atmosphere using new technology and emphasizing interdisciplinary practice.