Assessing Nontechnical Skills in Senior Pharmacy Students Using an Innovative Simulation Setting.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Simulation

Background:

• Nontechnical skills are crucial for pharmacy practice.
• Assessing teamwork and patient safety identification in pharmacy students requires effective methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate pharmacy students' nontechnical skills using a simulated session.
• To assess teamwork skills and the ability to identify patient safety priorities.

Main Methods:

• A 2-phase study involving a simulated case with 23 errors and a debriefing session.
• Teamwork skills assessed using the Individual Teamwork Observation and Feedback Tool.
• Quantitative (error counts, tool scores) and qualitative (thematic analysis) data collected.

Main Results:

• 78 PharmD students in 26 groups identified an average of 8 errors, with 'wrong drug' being the most common (96%).
• Effective teamwork skills included shared decision-making, active discussion, and respectful leadership.
• Students found the simulation engaging and beneficial for detail orientation.

Conclusions:

• The simulation setting is an innovative tool for assessing pharmacy students' patient safety and teamwork skills.
• This method provides valuable insights into students' nontechnical competencies.