Hello Operator? A Pharmacy Practice Simulation to Increase Student Confidence in Telephone Communication Skills

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Healthcare Communication
• Interprofessional Practice

Background:

• Telephone communication is a vital skill in pharmacy practice.
• Student pharmacists may face challenges like social anxiety and limited practice opportunities.
• Generational differences can also impact interprofessional telephone communication effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a simulation for practicing interprofessional telephone communication.
• To assess the simulation's impact on student pharmacists' confidence.
• To evaluate confidence in providing pharmacy interventions via telephone.

Main Methods:

• A faculty-developed simulation focused on interprofessional telephone communication.
• Collection of baseline pharmacy work experience data.
• Presimulation and postsimulation surveys assessing telephone skills, attitudes, and confidence.
• Quantitative analysis using descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis of reflective responses.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in student confidence were observed.
• Students reported increased confidence in providing pharmacy-related interventions over the phone.
• Enhanced skills included independent work, communicating order changes, justifying recommendations, and answering drug information questions.

Conclusions:

• The simulation offered a low-risk environment for practicing interprofessional telephone communication.
• The simulation led to significant growth in student confidence and practical skills.
• This approach effectively prepares student pharmacists for essential communication tasks.