Piloting a research project through the COVID-19 pandemic

Abigail A. Pinto

Abigail A. Pinto

BPharm (Hons), GradCertPharmPract, MSHP | Pharmacist, Monash Health | Abigail.Pinto@monashhealth.org

[Pharmacy GRIT Article No: 2023003]

The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) Foundation Residency Program1 provided me with a unique opportunity for early-career growth and research experience through well-structured and supported course design.2 I began the SHPA Foundation Residency Program in June 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to pandemic-related departmental adjustments, my surgical rotation was extended from six to nine months. This enabled me to develop my orthopaedics knowledge; I pursued my passion and subsequently based my residency project in this field.

My project aimed to standardise prescribing and reduce medication errors following elective orthopaedic surgery by implementing an electronic decision support tool. I worked closely with key stakeholders within the orthopaedic team (unit head, orthogeriatric service medical lead, surgical pharmacists) to identify key medicine issues and feasible solutions. Working with senior staff members was initially daunting, but the appeal of improved practice and our shared interest brought us together. The multidisciplinary component helped drive the project and build something that was highly anticipated by the entire team.

The research project was by far the most intimidating aspect of the Foundation Residency Program, largely due to my lack of research experience. It was reassuring to know that I was not alone; many factors impede a pharmacy resident from publishing original research pieces, with publication rates found to be as low as 13.2% overseas.3 Internationally, the two most common barriers to completing residency projects are: developing a realistic timeline to complete the project and; working through the publication process.4 Participants noted that additional research training, mentorship programs, and a supportive department are required to facilitate good quality publications.4,5

The pandemic, and subsequent reductions in elective surgery, slowed the advancement of my research project. My dedicated research supervisors and hospital pharmacy research and education teams guided me through the multiple project delays by connecting me to key stakeholders and sharing helpful resources. They also encouraged me to continue working on other residency activities during stagnant project stages to maximise productivity. I was unable to complete my research project within the residency timeframe due to the significant reduction in my patient cohort. Now that elective surgery has resumed, I will continue to lead the research outside of the Foundation Residency Program.

My advice to others beginning their research journey is to focus on an area they are enthusiastic about — this makes the entire process much more enjoyable and fulfilling. I learnt that breaking the project down into smaller, more manageable and quantifiable steps made the overarching goal more achievable. I maintained accountability and attained more consistent results by setting realistic project objectives. The Victorian schooling system utilises ten High impact teaching strategies (HITS) such as goal setting, feedback, and metacognitive strategies to facilitate learning and development.6 I incorporated similar strategies to promote problem-solving and self-directed learning throughout each phase of the research project. In doing so, I familiarised myself with the research process and gained practical experience that can be applied to my future research ventures.

References

  1. Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. Foundation Residencies. Collingwood: SHPA; 2023. Available from <https://www.adpha.au/workforce-research/residency/foundation>. Accessed 27/3/23.
  2. SHPA. Foundation residencies. Collingwood: SHPA; 2020. Available from <https://www.adpha.au/workforce-research/residency/foundation>. Accessed 27/3/23.
  3. Martin Vouri S, Stranges PM, Burke JM, Micek S, Pitlick MK, Wenger P. The importance of research during pharmacy residency training. Curr Pharm Teach Learn 2015; 7: 892–8.
  4. Irwin AN, Olson KL, Joline BR, Witt DM, Patel RJ. Challenges to publishing pharmacy resident research projects from the perspectives of residency program directors and residents. Pharm Pract (Granada) 2013; 11: 166–72.
  5. Reali S, Lee T, Bishop J, Mirkov S, Johnson J, McCourt E, et al. Attitudes, barriers and facilitators of hospital pharmacists conducting practice-based research: a systematic review. J Pharm Pract Res 2021; 51: 192–202.
  6. Department of Education and Training. High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS). Melbourne: Victoria State Government; 2017.