A Narrative Inquiry of Critical Events Supporting Professional Identity Formation in Introductory Pharmacy Practice...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Professional Identity Formation
• Experiential Learning

Background:

• Professional identity formation (PIF) is crucial for healthcare professionals, involving the internalization of professional values and beliefs.
• PIF progresses through stages, often influenced by pivotal experiences during professional socialization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify critical events impacting pharmacy student PIF during introductory pharmacy practice experiences.
• To analyze how these critical events support or challenge the development of pharmacy students' professional identity.

Main Methods:

• Employed critical event narrative inquiry methodology.
• Conducted semistructured interviews with first- and second-year pharmacy students post-introductory practice rotations.
• Utilized narrative analysis for coding and interpreting interview data.

Main Results:

• Experiential learning events fostered a deeper understanding of pharmacist roles, including autonomy, responsibility, collaboration, and patient care.
• First-year students focused on understanding the 'what' of pharmacist roles, while second-year students focused on the 'how to'.
• Factors like emotions, responsibility, validation, and preceptor guidance were key to supporting these identity-shaping events.

Conclusions:

• Critical events within introductory pharmacy practice experiences are pivotal in shaping pharmacy students' professional identity.
• These experiences demonstrably influence students' knowledge, sense of agency, and anticipated professional behaviors, highlighting their importance in pharmacy curricula.