Teaching clinical problem solving: A preceptor's guide

Purpose. Instructional methods to help pharmacists succeed in their growing role in practice-based teaching are discussed, with an emphasis on techniques for fulfilling the four key preceptor roles. Summary. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and other organizations advocate ongoing efforts to develop the teaching skills of clinician-educators serving as preceptors to pharmacy students and residents. The broad model of teaching clinical problem solving recommended by ASHP emphasizes the creative and flexible application of the four major preceptor roles: (1) direct instruction, (2) modeling, (3) coaching, and (4) facilitating. A variety of teaching methods used in the fields of medicine and nursing that can also be adopted by practice-based pharmacy educators are presented; in particular, the advantages and disadvantages of various case-presentation formats (e.g., One-Minute Preceptor, SNAPPS, patient-witnessed teaching, "Aunt Minnie "think-aloud") are reviewed. Other topics discussed include the appropriate use of questioning as an educational tool, strategies for providing constructive feedback, teaching learners to self-evaluate their skills and progress, and integrating residents into teaching activities. Conclusion. The ASHP-recommended approach to teaching clinical problem-solving skills can be applied within the educational frameworks provided by schools of pharmacy as well as pharmacy residency programs. A wide range of validated teaching strategies can be used to tailor learning experiences to individual learner needs while meeting overall program goals and objectives. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2012; 69:1588-99