Scaring Students

So my last blog created somewhat of a stir and, rather than start a slanging match, noting that this skill is not listed in our conduct, ethics and good practice guidance, I shall make like a politician and hastily move on to the next topic.

After being 'volunteered' some weeks ago to help coordinate visiting pharmacy students, this week gave me the first opportunity to mentor a student during their visit. It just so happened that I had been pulled from the wards to cover the outpatient dispensary, so was more than a little out of my comfort zone.

The student was very professional and attentive. I tried to remember what it was like as a pharmacy student on a placement for three hours and what I had wanted to get from it. It was alarmingly difficult.

I asked the student questions about drugs, what type of counselling she would give, how pharmacists were involved with the discharge process and how we direct prescribing etc and then... disaster struck!

I decided to let the student hand some medicines out, being shadowed by the senior technician to ensure no important information was missed. I found a nice script, chloramphenicol eye drops, so the student could have something to say but nothing too complex and explained she needed to confirm the patients name and address.

And then it happened. The patient couldn't confirm their address. Or their name. Or their date of birth. In fact, all the patient kept saying was "thank you very much". The student, emotionally scarred for life, turned to the senior tech who took over but still had no joy. The patient couldn't understand English. I got involved, contacted the clinic and resolved the issue but I still couldn't help feeling terrible about putting the poor student through such an ordeal.

Hopefully, she'll make a full recovery and return to university unscathed.