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Letter to the Editor International Journal of
Pharmacy Practice International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2014, 22, pp. 101–102
Reflective writing in pharmacy practice Shazia Qasim Jamshed and Siti Hadijah Shamsudin Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan Campus, Pahang, Malaysia. ([email protected]) doi: 10.1111/ijpp.12036
Pharmacists, being health information gurus and one of the largest groups of healthcare providers, seep into the changing dynamics of the healthcare environment where now the patient is both demanding of, and receptive to, information even on minor illnesses. The profession of pharmacy holds the concept of ‘patient centred care,’ thus shifting the image of a pharmacist from a dispenser to a decision-maker and caregiver. This places an additional burden on the pharmacist, and therefore the practice of professional principles should be more dynamic and action-oriented in the best interest of the patient. Future pharmacy practitioners need to gain better understanding of the professional principles and heterogeneous philosophies of pharmacy practice that initiate from dispensing, counselling, congenial interprofessional and intra-professional working, and later culminate in drug and patient safety, pharmacogenomics and pharmacoinformatics. In order to accomplish this, future pharmacy practitioners could be frequently acclimatized to the concept of reflective learning in different pharmacy modules. It is suggested that the concept of reflective learning could be nurtured by observational writing. The requirement of reflection-imbued observational writing generally, exposes the students to activities related to learning and makes them an insider for a transient epoch facilitating in facing the world being observed. Observational writing is a way to mentally channelize the learning and understanding of a task to accomplish some predictable consequences. Excerpts from observational writing could then be collated in the form of a reflective diary. A reflective diary best serves the purpose of an educational tool as it simplifies the observation and insightful account of the situation that the student is a part of. This reflective diary necessitates the student to contemplate again and again the events and situation in which the student is one of the
© 2014 Royal Pharmaceutical Society
observer participants. This in turn offers the student the freedom of expression that paves the way for unambiguous nonverbal communication, ultimately articulating an improved action plan for the future. Previously published studies have reported that reflective diaries or reflective portfolios are appropriate ‘academic kits’ in simplifying thinking and assembling conducts of thinking.[1–6] The fundamentals of reflective writing embark upon the manifestations of subjective opinions. In order to promote outcome-based reflective writing, guided reflection is one of the pre-requisites that could nurture students to deduce their learning needs systematically. In this context, the role of faculty and/or preceptor in shaping the reflective thinking of the student cannot be undervalued. Keeping in view the recent trend of pharmaceutical care, where the pharmacist is expected to align intrinsically with the beliefs and feelings of patients and skills and competencies of other healthcare professionals, faculty and/or preceptors can serve as the personification of reflective teachers. Faculty and/or preceptors converge their thoughtfulness on the preliminary understanding of the reflective process by the student, boosting the student’s distinct nonverbal communication and ultimately providing well-thought-out facets to equipoise the flexible nature of reflective writing.
Declarations Conflict of interest The Authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2014, 22, pp. 101–102
102
References 1. Wallman A et al. Factors associated with reflection among students after an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) in Sweden. Am J Pharm Educ 2009; 73: 107. 2. Connor-Greene PA. Making connections: evaluating the effectiveness of journal writing in enhancing student learning. Teach Psychol 2000; 27: 44–46.
© 2014 Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Letter to the Editor
3. Tang C. Reflective diaries as a means of facilitating and assessing reflection. In Quality Conversations: Proceedings of the 29th HERDSA Annual Conference Perth, 7–10 July 2002. Milperra: Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Inc., 2002. 4. Mansor AZ. Reflective learning journal using blog. Procedia Soc Behav Sci 2011; 18: 507–516.
5. Coward M. Does the use of reflective models restrict critical thinking and therefore learning in nurse education? What have we done? Nurse Educ Today 2011; 31: 883–886. 6. Chirema KD. The use of reflective journals in the promotion of reflection and learning in post-registration nursing students. Nurse Educ Today 2007; 27: 192–202.
International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2014, 22, pp. 101–102
Letter to the Editor International Journal of
Pharmacy Practice International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2014, 22, pp. 101–102
Reflective writing in pharmacy practice Shazia Qasim Jamshed and Siti Hadijah Shamsudin Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan Campus, Pahang, Malaysia. ([email protected]) doi: 10.1111/ijpp.12036
Pharmacists, being health information gurus and one of the largest groups of healthcare providers, seep into the changing dynamics of the healthcare environment where now the patient is both demanding of, and receptive to, information even on minor illnesses. The profession of pharmacy holds the concept of ‘patient centred care,’ thus shifting the image of a pharmacist from a dispenser to a decision-maker and caregiver. This places an additional burden on the pharmacist, and therefore the practice of professional principles should be more dynamic and action-oriented in the best interest of the patient. Future pharmacy practitioners need to gain better understanding of the professional principles and heterogeneous philosophies of pharmacy practice that initiate from dispensing, counselling, congenial interprofessional and intra-professional working, and later culminate in drug and patient safety, pharmacogenomics and pharmacoinformatics. In order to accomplish this, future pharmacy practitioners could be frequently acclimatized to the concept of reflective learning in different pharmacy modules. It is suggested that the concept of reflective learning could be nurtured by observational writing. The requirement of reflection-imbued observational writing generally, exposes the students to activities related to learning and makes them an insider for a transient epoch facilitating in facing the world being observed. Observational writing is a way to mentally channelize the learning and understanding of a task to accomplish some predictable consequences. Excerpts from observational writing could then be collated in the form of a reflective diary. A reflective diary best serves the purpose of an educational tool as it simplifies the observation and insightful account of the situation that the student is a part of. This reflective diary necessitates the student to contemplate again and again the events and situation in which the student is one of the
© 2014 Royal Pharmaceutical Society
observer participants. This in turn offers the student the freedom of expression that paves the way for unambiguous nonverbal communication, ultimately articulating an improved action plan for the future. Previously published studies have reported that reflective diaries or reflective portfolios are appropriate ‘academic kits’ in simplifying thinking and assembling conducts of thinking.[1–6] The fundamentals of reflective writing embark upon the manifestations of subjective opinions. In order to promote outcome-based reflective writing, guided reflection is one of the pre-requisites that could nurture students to deduce their learning needs systematically. In this context, the role of faculty and/or preceptor in shaping the reflective thinking of the student cannot be undervalued. Keeping in view the recent trend of pharmaceutical care, where the pharmacist is expected to align intrinsically with the beliefs and feelings of patients and skills and competencies of other healthcare professionals, faculty and/or preceptors can serve as the personification of reflective teachers. Faculty and/or preceptors converge their thoughtfulness on the preliminary understanding of the reflective process by the student, boosting the student’s distinct nonverbal communication and ultimately providing well-thought-out facets to equipoise the flexible nature of reflective writing.
Declarations Conflict of interest The Authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2014, 22, pp. 101–102
102
References 1. Wallman A et al. Factors associated with reflection among students after an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) in Sweden. Am J Pharm Educ 2009; 73: 107. 2. Connor-Greene PA. Making connections: evaluating the effectiveness of journal writing in enhancing student learning. Teach Psychol 2000; 27: 44–46.
© 2014 Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Letter to the Editor
3. Tang C. Reflective diaries as a means of facilitating and assessing reflection. In Quality Conversations: Proceedings of the 29th HERDSA Annual Conference Perth, 7–10 July 2002. Milperra: Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Inc., 2002. 4. Mansor AZ. Reflective learning journal using blog. Procedia Soc Behav Sci 2011; 18: 507–516.
5. Coward M. Does the use of reflective models restrict critical thinking and therefore learning in nurse education? What have we done? Nurse Educ Today 2011; 31: 883–886. 6. Chirema KD. The use of reflective journals in the promotion of reflection and learning in post-registration nursing students. Nurse Educ Today 2007; 27: 192–202.
International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2014, 22, pp. 101–102
