A Qualitative Analysis of Student Pharmacists’ Response after an Auditory Hallucination Simulation

Abstract

Objectives: The goal of this research was to evaluate pharmacy students’ experiences and reactions when exposed to an auditory hallucination simulator. Methods: A convenient sample of 16 pharmacy students enrolled in the Advanced Psychiatry Elective at a private, faith-based university in the southeastern United States was selected. Students participated in an activity in which they listened to an auditory hallucination simulator from their personal laptop computers and completed a variety of tasks. Following the conclusion of the simulator, students composed a reflection guided by a five-question prompt. Qualitative analysis of the reflections was then completed to identify and categorize overarching themes. Results: The overarching themes identified included: 1) students mentioned strategies they used to overcome the distraction; 2) students discussed how the voices affected their ability to complete the activities; 3) students discussed the mental/physical toll they experienced; 4) students identified methods to assist patients with schizophrenia; 5) students mentioned an increase in their empathy for patients; 6) students reported their reactions to the voices; 7) students recognized how schizophrenia could affect the lives of these patients; and 8) students expressed how their initial expectations and reactions to the voices changed throughout the course of the simulation. Overall, the use of this simulator as a teaching aid was well received by students. Summary: In conclusion, pharmacy students were impacted by the hallucination simulator and expressed an increased awareness of the challenges faced by these patients on a daily basis. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties. Type: Original Research

Keywords

• pharmacy student
• auditory hallucination
• models
• educational
• empathy
• patient simulation