Pharmacy students’ understanding and perceived development of professional identity and professionalism: a mixed-methods study

Abstract

Background: Professionalism and professional identity as concepts have been researched in many disciplines, but research in relation to pharmacy students in the United Kingdom (UK) is limited. This research, therefore, aimed to investigate pharmacy students’ understanding and perceived development of professional identity and professionalism. Methods: A triangulation mixed-methods study design was adopted using both surveys and interviews. Phase one of the research was to develop instruments for pharmacy students to self-evaluate their understanding and development of professional identity and professionalism. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to establish the reliability and construct validity of the instruments. A survey containing the instruments was disseminated each year for four years to the same cohort of pharmacy students on the 2012 MPharm intake. Phase two involved conducting interviews with pharmacy educators and pharmacy students in years three and four of the MPharm course. The data was analysed using the framework method. Eight schools of pharmacy (SOP) took part in the study. Results: A total of 699 responses were received over the four years of the study, with a response rate of 16%. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the professionalism instrument identified four factors labelled Altruism, Excellence, Respect for Others, and Accountability. Each factor accounted for more than 58% of the total variance. The instrument showed high construct validity and reliable internal consistency (α=0.95). Across the four years, a statistically significant increase was observed in their self-evaluated level of professionalism. The professional identity instrument showed reliable internal consistency of α=0.92 however, professional identity formation was not observed over the four years. The interviews conducted revealed seven themes for how students defined both professional identity and professionalism. These were attributes, perception, communication, regulation, self-development, sense of belonging and the code of conduct. The pharmacy course and role models were identified as common factors for professionalism development, while placements and work experience were identified as common factors for professional identity development. 4 Conclusion: The professionalism instrument is the first quantitative measure to assess the understanding of professionalism by pharmacy students in the UK. Factor analyses confirmed the presence of a four-factor component model. Additionally, this study offers a valuable insight into how students perceive and develop professional identity and professionalism and the role educational institutes can play in engendering these concepts in students.