Impact of multimodal methods to teach advanced cardiovascular life support principles in the core doctor of pharmacy curriculum

Abstract

Introduction The 2016 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Accreditation Standards place clear expectations on the production of “practice ready” graduates. Advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) is an integrated, team‐based approach to optimizing patient outcomes in acute cardiovascular events. Foundational knowledge and skill with ACLS principles will support graduate pharmacists as essential members of the health care team. Objectives To assess the impact of didactic and simulation based advanced cardiovascular life support training on student perception, knowledge, and skills. Methods ACLS training was incorporated into the third year pharmacy curriculum through the addition of a 2‐hour pharmacy‐oriented didactic lecture on ACLS fundamentals and reinforced with a 2‐hour simulation experience of various cardiovascular events. Perception and knowledge were evaluated in a pre‐ and post‐assessment format with 10 questions evaluating knowledge and 19 questions evaluating perceptions. Results All students (n = 133) completed the pre‐ and post‐assessments. Knowledge of ACLS fundamentals improved by 35% from baseline (43.4% ± 16.7% to 79.2% ± 14.9%, P < 0.001). Perceptions also improved with self‐reported novice ranking decreasing from 46.4% ± 21.5% overall to 4.3% ± 2.1% (P < 0.001), and perceptions of proficient ranking increasing from 6.9% ± 5.5% to 32.5% ± 6.7% (P < 0.001). Skill‐based assessment demonstrated positive review of peers' simulation performance. Conclusions ACLS instruction using both didactic lecture and simulation experience enhanced student knowledge and confidence of ACLS fundamentals. Future implementation may include offering formal ACLS certification through an elective course.

Effect of formal advanced cardiovascular life support training with high-fidelity mannequins on knowledge and confidence of third-year PharmD students

“…Of note, a larger percentage of students in the AHA ACLS certification group indicated residency training as their post-graduate plan than when all P3 students were polled (63% vs 40%). The difference in confidence and knowledge before and after ACLS training in the core curriculum has been reported previously (Newsome et al, 2018). There were significant reductions in self-perceived ratings of novice and advanced beginner (p<0.001 for each), while there were significant increases in the ratings of competent, proficient, and expert (p<0.0001 for each).…”

“…This indicates an overall shift towards responses that indicate higher levels of confidence instilled by the formal AHA ACLS certification. While previous studies have demonstrated that teaching ACLS improves knowledge (Newsome et al, 2018;Eng et al, 2014), this study is the first to directly compare two teaching modalities within the PharmD curriculum.…”

“…ACLS training supports student development of the core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), with the goal of EPAs being to develop "practice-ready" pharmacists in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Previous research demonstrated that incorporation of ACLS fundamentals into the third-year core curriculum improved knowledge and perception of pharmacy students (Newsome et al, 2018).…”

Pharmacist perceptions of CliftonStrengths ® themes important for success in advanced cardiovascular life support

“…The optimal mode of ACLS training, however, is unclear. Didactic lectures, simulation using low‐ or high‐fidelity mannequins and formal American Heart Association (AHA) ACLS certification have been used by different health professions 2‐4 …”