Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 23, 2025
Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Evaluation of an intervention to support the development of clinical problem solving skills during a hospital-based
Jane McCartney1, Shirley-Anne Boschmans2
1Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa; School of Pharmacy, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x17, Bellville, 7535 Cape Town, South Africa.
Introduction:
Final year pharmacy students at the Nelson Mandela University described feeling unprepared for the complexities of clinical reasoning and problem solving during the hospital-based experiential learning program (ELP). The fifteen week ELP is part of the third Pharmacology and Therapeutics module taken in the final year of the four year Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree program. An intervention, in the form of supplementary academic support sessions, was implemented during the ELP. The aim of the research was to evaluate the intervention from the perspectives of the students' experience as well as academic performance in the ELP.
Methods:
A mixed-methods approach using a quasi-experimental, intervention-based design was employed. Final year students in Year 1 (control cohort) completed the ELP as usual without additional academic support. In the consecutive academic year (Year 2), the intervention cohort completed the ELP that was enhanced with the intervention. Student feedback provided qualitative data, while quantitative data in the form of assessment marks were used as a measure of academic performance.
Results:
The students' experience of the intervention was overwhelming positive and provided evidence that the students felt better prepared for patient case analysis as a result of the intervention. A small but significant improvement in academic performance in the ELP was also seen.
Conclusions:
The intervention, using a modified team based learning (TBL) approach developed from student-identified needs, was successfully implemented and provided a means of enhancing the development of problem solving and clinical reasoning skills during the ELP, through additional academic support sessions.
More Related Videos
13:44Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
05:04Author Spotlight: Evaluating Clinicians' Adoption of Ultrasound-Guided Vascular Cannulation Through Simulation Training
Published on: August 9, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:24Critical Thinking I
01:13Patient-centered Care
01:25Critical Thinking II
01:20Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching III: Evaluation and Documentation
Nurses can use several methods to evaluate patient outcomes. For example, oral questions can assess cognitive learning,...
01:21Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
01:30Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...