Enhancing student-pharmacists' professional development through community outreach with dementia population

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Pharmacy Education

Background:

• Dementia care guidelines recommend nonpharmacologic interventions for behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD).
• Sensory engagement strategies are crucial for managing BPSD in patients with progressive neuronal loss.
• Healthcare students can be trained in nonpharmacologic approaches to improve dementia care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of sensory stimulation outreach on pharmacy students' comfort and communication skills with dementia patients.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of interprofessional collaboration in dementia care education.
• To determine if increased exposure to patients with dementia enhances student confidence.

Main Methods:

• A single-group, pretest-posttest design was used to evaluate changes in student comfort and communication.
• Pharmacy students participated in sensory stimulation outreach, engaging patients with dementia using fidget blankets.
• Patient-specific directions and demonstrations were employed during the outreach activities.

Main Results:

• Students reported a statistically significant increase in comfort levels after their first, second, and third outreach experiences.
• Weighted composite communication scores significantly improved after the first and third outreach sessions.
• Twenty-six students participated in 1 to 5 outreach sessions, demonstrating consistent engagement.

Conclusions:

• Sensory stimulation outreach significantly improved pharmacy students' comfort and communication abilities with dementia patients.
• Repeated participation in outreach activities led to further enhancements in comfort and communication skills.
• This study highlights the value of experiential learning in preparing healthcare professionals for dementia care.