2021 Volume 5 Article ID: 2021-018
Students today have few opportunities to learn about neonatal care and pediatric pharmacotherapy in pharmacy schools. A class called Overview of the Role of Pharmacists in Neonatal Intensive Care Units was offered as part of the Medical Professionalism program for fifth-year students. The class introduced students to the neonatal intensive care unit and included a video of neonatal resuscitation during a cesarean birth. The video helped students understand the preciousness of life and the importance of neonatal care. There were 399 of 421 student responses to a class evaluation questionnaire that included questions about interest in neonatal care, understanding of the pharmacist’s role, and the significance of studying neonatal medicine. The results of the questionnaire showed that almost all students understood the role of pharmacists in the neonatal intensive care unit, and 98% of them answered that it was meaningful to learn about neonatal care during the six-year pharmacy program. About half of the students indicated that they would like to contribute to the field of neonatal care as pharmacists and saw a role for themselves in “saving,” “helping,” and “protecting” children’s lives. This class provided an opportunity for students to set their own specific goals for neonatal care, suggesting its effectiveness as an educational tool in medical professionalism programs.
