Assessment of wellbeing programming for student pharmacists: A continuous quality improvement project

This quality improvement (QI) project served as a large-scale needs assessment to align with University initiatives and inform development of a College of Pharmacy Wellbeing Strategic Plan.

Data from University and College of Pharmacy wellbeing events from 2020 to 2024 were collected and mapped to Whole Health dimensions: community, self-care, spiritual, physical, financial, mental and environmental. A survey was distributed to College of Pharmacy faculty, staff, and students about wellbeing confidence and struggles as well as preferences for event frequency.

There were 187 events mapped, and 140 were held by the College of Pharmacy. The mental and self-care dimensions had the highest number of events (107 and 93 events, respectively). Most events occurred annually (58, 31.0 %) and 55 (28.3 %) occurred only once. Students perceived high confidence in the self-care (25, 32.5 %) and community (20, 25.9 %) dimensions and difficulties with the physical (17, 22.1 %) and financial dimensions (16, 20.8 %). However, faculty and staff felt students struggled most with mental health (7, 38.9 %) and self-care (4, 22.2 %). Most survey participants noted preference for semesterly events.

The large number of events reflects the College's dedication to student pharmacist wellbeing; however, duplicative events and some differing faculty-student perceptions of wellbeing challenges demonstrate the need for a more strategic approach. Moving forward, a Wellbeing Strategic Plan will align events with student needs, enhance collaboration, and optimize resources.

This QI project could serve as a first-step for assessment of wellbeing strategies at other Colleges.