In this episode, I’ll discuss using the 1 minute preceptor method for pharmacy residents.
This method focuses on the 5 microskills first described in 1992 in Journal of American Board of Family Practice for teaching medical students.
Any of the 5 skills can be used on its own to quickly provide value during a learning experience, therefore the title of “1 minute preceptor method” was used. The skills are:
Skill 1: Get a Commitment
Focus on one learning point. Encourage residents to develop their critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. Actively engage the resident, establishing their readiness and level of competence. Push the resident just beyond their comfort zone and encourage them to make a decision about something, be it a recommendation or a plan.
Ex: “So, tell me what you think is happening with this patient.”
Skill 2: Probe for Supporting Evidence
Uncover the basis for the resident’s decision — was it a guess or was it based on a reasonable foundation of knowledge? Establish the resident’s readiness and level of competency.
Ex: “What other factors in the HPI support your recommendation?”
Skill 3: Reinforce What Was Done Well
The resident might not realize they have done something well. Positive feedback reinforces desired behaviors, knowledge, skills, or attitudes.
Ex: “You kept in mind that the doctor hadn’t seen the patient yet today, and you were non-judgmental in your approach ensuring your recommendation was accepted”
Skill 4: Give Guidance About Errors/Omissions
Approach the resident respectfully while concurrently addressing areas of need/improvement. Without timely feedback, it is difficult to improve. If mistakes are not pointed out, residents may never discover that they are making these errors and hence
repeat them.
Ex: “I agree the guidelines do say to use vasopressin 0.03 instead of 0.04 units per hour, but I would get that changed in the policy rather than bringing it up each time in rounds”
Skill 5: Teach a General Principle
Sharing a pearl of wisdom is your opportunity to shine, so embrace the moment! Residents will apply what is shared to future experiences. Residents tend to recall guiding principles, and often the individual patient may serve as a cue to recall a general rule that was taught.
Ex: “Deciding whether to test for HIT is tricky, fortunately, we can use the 4Ts to avoid unnecessary testing…”
Members of my Hospital Pharmacy Academy get to make precepting easy by granting their resident access to the 75+ Masterclass trainings available for clinical skills in critical care, emergency medicine, infectious disease, and general hospital pharmacy.
In addition, Academy members have access to preceptor development resources such as the training on Providing Feedback to Pharmacy Residents. To get immediate access to these resources go to pharmacyjoe.com/academy.
If you like this post, check out my book – A Pharmacist’s Guide to Inpatient Medical Emergencies: How to respond to code blue, rapid response calls, and other medical emergencies.
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