A qualitative exploration of Doctor of pharmacy students’ readiness to the rapid transition to virtual placement amid the COVID-19 pandemic using the framework of readiness to change (Preprint)

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a sudden unprecedented disruption to education with a significant impact on experiential education.

This study aimed to examine the readiness of the PharmD students to change to a virtual internship during the start of the COVID19 pandemic, from the perspectives of both the students and faculty preceptors.

The qualitative study was conducted online based on focus group discussions with PharmD students and semi-structured interviews with their faculty preceptors. Interviews were conducted in June 2020. They were online recorded, transcribed, and independently analyzed using the framework of readiness to change which was also used to construct the interview schedule.

Results were mapped to the framework of readiness to change with five themes emerging: understanding the necessity to shift to virtual internship; appropriateness of virtual internship; efficacy and confidence in one’s own and the institution’s ability to conduct online training; sufficient support and finally valence and benefits gained.

The results of this study showed that the PharmD students exhibited readiness for shifting to virtual internships and identified several aspects that shaped this readiness. Several student and faculty needs emerged including integration of new interactive learning methods and improving the level of preceptors’ communication with students, in order to optimize the students’ experience of virtual internship. Our results can also set baseline evidence for future research that can suggest what improvements should be implemented in the design of the VI program, and evaluate the impact of such improvements.