Student pharmacists’ apprehensions towards psychiatry before and after an inpatient psychiatry rotation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2025.251.346352Keywords:
Clinical pharmacy service, Education, Graduate pharmacy, Pharmacy student, PsychiatryAbstract
Background: Student pharmacists enter Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) with varying levels of experience and self-confidence.
Objective: To assess whether an inpatient psychiatric pharmacy rotation impacts student pharmacists' apprehensions about caring for psychiatric patients.
Method: Student pharmacists in their final professional year completed a survey on the first and last day of an APPE in psychiatry to determine if their comfort levels regarding care for psychiatric patients changed. A total of 58 students completed the pre-survey, and 52 completed the post-survey. The same 13 questions were included in both the pre- and post-surveys. A Mann-Whitney U test was conducted on each question to evaluate differences in the median responses of participants before and after the psychiatric rotation.
Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in 12 out of 13 questions, indicating an increased comfort level in these scenarios. Question 13, which addressed interest in psychiatry, did not show a statistically significant change between the pre- and post-surveys.
Conclusion: Student pharmacists’ comfort levels in psychiatry improved over a five-week rotation in an inpatient psychiatric unit, with increases noted across various disease states and scenarios. Further research is needed to explore ways to enhance confidence and interest in psychiatry.
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