How early career pharmacists understand resilience – a qualitative study of experiences, challenges and strategies

Halimi, Syafiqah Nadiah and Rowett, Debra and Whitfield, Karen M. and Luetsch, Karen (2022) How early career pharmacists understand resilience – a qualitative study of experiences, challenges and strategies. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. ISSN 1551-7411 (In Press)

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Abstract

Introduction Resilience assists healthcare professionals in negotiating challenges, remaining positive when experiencing adversity, and in constructively dealing with difficult work situations and environments. There is increasing research about how early career healthcare professionals, understand and maintain resilience but little is known about support early career pharmacists may need and value. Aims To explore early career pharmacists’ understanding of resilience, their strategies to enhance and maintain resilience as healthcare professionals and to identify resilience-fostering programmes they perceive could be implemented to support them. Methods Three focus groups and 12 semi-structured interviews with a total of 15 hospital pharmacists and 10 community pharmacists (both less than 3 years post-registration) were conducted. An inductive thematic analysis of transcripts was performed to identify main themes and subthemes. Results Pharmacists understood resilience as the capability to adapt to and learn from challenges and setbacks, which they can build through experience and exposure. Resilience in the workplace was challenged by their working environment and workload, which could lead to ego depletion, the transition from intern to registered pharmacist and working during the COVID-19 pandemic, which both added pressure and uncertainty to their role. Professional resilience was supported on individual, social and organisational levels and through self-care strategies. Pharmacists perceived mentorship and sharing experiences, experiential placements and constructive but challenging role play as potentially beneficial in building resilience during undergraduate studies and internship. Discussion Pharmacists defined resilience constructively and identified challenges testing but also strategies supporting their resilience in the workplace. Workplaces can support pharmacists by monitoring workload and workplace relationships, creating opportunities for peer and mentor support and by allowing pharmacists to implement their personal, individualised resilience maintaining strategies. Early career pharmacists’ experiences and insights would be valuable when considering the design and implementation of resilience-fostering programmes.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Resilience Hospital pharmacy Community pharmacy Qualitative
Subjects:	R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Pharmacy > Department of Pharmacy Practice
Depositing User:	Sr Syafiqah Nadiah Binti Halimi
Date Deposited:	23 Nov 2022 09:40
Last Modified:	23 Nov 2022 11:40
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/101411

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