Student perceptions of the value they bring to APPE sites

Partner institutions invest much time and effort into educating pharmacy students, and ideally students should be viewed as valuable to those sites. Prior studies have demonstrated the perceptions that preceptors and administrators have about the value of students at their sites. However, students' perceptions of their own value at practice sites have not been described. Students do have perceptions about their own value to sites, and such information could be useful in learning about potential areas in which students perceive they are making an impact on patient care.

Five hundred qualitative student responses to an evaluation question regarding perceived value were analyzed from a United States pharmacy school. Nineteen categories of value were extracted. Responses fit into multiple categories, resulting in 783 data points for analysis. The categories were analyzed overall and with respect to advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) type (acute care, community, hospital, ambulatory care, and elective). Descriptive statistics were used.

Providing patient counseling (15.7%) and therapeutic recommendations (14.7%) were the highest perceived values. In adult acute care and hospital APPEs, "providing therapeutic recommendations" (24.4% and 19.1% respectively) were rated highest. In community, ambulatory care, and elective APPEs, "providing patient counseling" (25%, 23%, and 13.8%, respectively) was highest rated.

Students perceive they are valuable to practice sites in several ways. These results demonstrate that students' self-reported perceptions of the value they bring to their sites are consistent with other literature reports based on perception of preceptors regarding student value to patient care.