RESEARCH ARTICLE: Students’ proposed self-management strategies in response to written cases depicting situations of adversity

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2021.211.810816

Keywords:

Emotional intelligence, Emotional regulation, Resilience, Pharmacy

Abstract

Introduction: Pharmacy students are facing academic and non-academic pressures that require emotional regulation. This study explored students’ possible self-management strategies when encountering situations known to deplete resilience.   

Methods: This was a qualitative think-aloud study designed to elicit final year pharmacy students’ reactions to situations known to deplete resilience and evoke emotional responses (racism, lack of trust, negative feedback, burnout, personal stress, sexual harassment). Thematic analysis was used to capture the strategies students used to self-manage their emotions.   

Results: Students made use of three types of processes to self-manage their emotions, which were used to construct three overarching strategies: the internalizer (avoidance, self-reflection), the seeker (asking for help or corroboration), and the confronter (approaching the situation and persons involved ‘head on’).    

Conclusion: Findings support the notion that students’ self-management is not a ‘one size fits all’ construct, and any approach to emotional skill development needs to recognize individualization within student responses.

Author Biographies

Jared Davidson, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

School of Pharmacy

Claire Simmonds, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

School of Pharmacy

Karen Whitfield, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia

School of Pharmacy

Kyle John Wilby, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health

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Published

02-12-2021

How to Cite

Davidson, J., Simmonds, C., Whitfield, K., & Wilby, K. J. (2021). RESEARCH ARTICLE: Students’ proposed self-management strategies in response to written cases depicting situations of adversity . Pharmacy Education, 21, p. 810–816. https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2021.211.810816

Issue

Vol. 21 (2021)

Section

Research Article

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