Student Handbook 5th-Year Placement 2020 - Appel
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Student Handbook th 5 -Year Placement 2020
2
Table of Contents
What is APPEL? ............................................................................................................................ 4
Message from the APPEL Team ................................................................................................... 5
Quick Guide to the 5th-Year Placement ....................................................................................... 6
Abbreviations and Definitions ..................................................................................................... 7
5th-Year Placements – Background Information......................................................................... 8
5th-Year Placements – Practical Information ............................................................................... 9
5th-Year Placements – Essential Information ............................................................................. 14
5th-Year Placements – Detailed Information ............................................................................. 16
Getting the Most from Your Experiential Learning Placement ................................................. 25
Frequently Asked Questions ...................................................................................................... 26
APPENDIX I – Sample Induction and Training Plan for 5th-Year Experiential Learning
Placements ................................................................................................................................. 28
APPENDIX II - Guidelines on Delivering APPEL Experiential Placements (abridged) ................. 39
APPENDIX III - APPEL Student Placement Agreement ............................................................... 41
The APPEL Team Contact Details ............................................................................................... 43
3
RCSI
UCC Trinity
What is APPEL?
APPEL (Affiliation for Pharmacy Practice Experiential Learning) was formed in 2015 by a consortium
of the UCC School of Pharmacy, RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, and the Trinity
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. It was established to streamline the management
of the common experiential learning placements of all three integrated pharmacy programmes in
Ireland. It is overseen by the APPEL Board, consisting of the three Heads of the Schools of Pharmacy
in UCC, RCSI, and Trinity.
The APPEL team consists of Practice Educators based within the three Schools of Pharmacy, and the
Operations Team, led by the Director/National Coordinator of APPEL. The team is available to
support both Trainers and students throughout their practice placements.
4
Message from the APPEL Team
Dear Pharmacy Students,
Congratulations on reaching the fifth and final year of your pharmacy course. We
hope that you are looking forward to undertaking your eight-month APPEL
placement at the start of 2020.
This 5th-year placement is the last experiential learning placement that you will
undertake before sitting your PRE and registering as a pharmacist. It is your
opportunity to continue to develop competency under the guidance and supervision of
your Senior Preceptor. During this placement, you can implement and practise the
behaviours of the Core Competency Framework, in a supportive, experiential learning
environment which champions excellence in professional practice.
Following successful completion of this final experiential learning placement, and the
completion of the PRE examination, you will be an independent, self-directing
professional pharmacist who is wholly responsible for all decisions and judgements
you make.
We in APPEL are here to provide every support possible as you undertake your journey
to practice through experiential learning. We want you to enjoy and benefit from your
placement. Both the APPEL office team and our Practice Educators are available to you
on an ongoing basis for support. In order to help you, we need to be aware of any issues,
so please do contact us if you have any questions or we can provide any assistance.
We wish you every success during this placement and on your journey to professional
autonomy!
The APPEL Team
5
Quick Guide to the 5th-Year Placement
5th-YEAR PLACEMENT
This 5th-year placement is the final placement you will undertake before registering as a pharmacist. It
is your final opportunity to develop competency under the guidance and supervision of your Senior
Preceptor. This handbook contains important information to help prepare you for your 5th-year
experiential learning placement. You are asked to carefully read this handbook, as you must adhere to
the requirements herein.
ATTENDANCE AND SCHEDULE
This is a statutory placement, which is defined in law as being ‘not less than eight consecutive months’
in duration. Thus, 100% attendance is expected during the scheduled placement days. You must report
any absences during the placement schedule to both the Training Establishment AND your Practice
Educator as soon as possible.
Pharmacy students must attend their Training Establishment on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and
Friday. The student must attend the Training Establishment for 8.5 hours daily, including 1 hour for lunch
between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm. The placement hours must occur over one continuous period, e.g.,
8 am to 4.30 pm, or 9 am – 5.30 pm, 9.30 am – 6.00 pm, etc.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Be aware of and comply with your Schools of Pharmacy Joint Student Code of Conduct while on
placement. The Code of Conduct is available on www.appel.ie.
COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT
There are two Competency Assessments during the placement; the first Competency Assessment must
be completed by 31st March 2020 and the final Competency Assessment completed by 31st July 2020.
You must achieve a level 4 in all behaviours in the final assessment. If you have any concern about
reaching the required level of competency, please get in touch with a Practice Educator as early as
possible, to enable us to support you and your Senior Preceptor.
CRITICAL INCIDENTS
You must report all critical incidents (defined on page 12) to your Practice Educator or the APPEL office
(if the Practice Educator is unavailable).
PATIENT SAFETY
Patient safety is your primary concern on placement. If you become aware of a potential patient safety
incident, alert your Senior Preceptor/a member of staff at the Training Establishment immediately.
SUPPORT
If you have any queries/concerns regarding your placement, make sure to check if your question has
been answered in the FAQ section on www.appel.ie or get in touch with either a Practice Educator or
the APPEL office (contact details on page 43).
6
Abbreviations and Definitions
Affiliation for Pharmacy Practice Experiential Learning (APPEL) – A collaboration between the three
Schools of Pharmacy to manage the experiential learning placements for the integrated pharmacy
programmes.
CCF – The PSI’s Core Competency Framework.
Competency Assessment – The process by which Preceptors/Senior Preceptors assess students’
competency in the relevant behaviours in the CCF.
ECTS – European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System.
HEI – Higher Education Institution.
PEARs – Pharmacy Education and Accreditation Reviews.
Practice Educator (PE) – An employee of one of the Schools of Pharmacy who also works with APPEL
and acts as a liaison between APPEL, the Training Establishments/Preceptors, the students, and their
School of Pharmacy.
PRE – Professional Registration Exam.
PSI – Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.
RCSI – Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
School of Pharmacy – UCC School of Pharmacy, RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences,
or Trinity School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Senior Preceptor – A registered Pharmacist who is overseeing the experiential placement of (a) 5th-
year student(s).
Trinity – Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin.
Training Establishment (TE) – The specific location providing the placement.
UCC – University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork.
VLE – APPEL Virtual Learning Environment – APPEL’s virtual classroom in which students and their
Trainers can engage in certain activities. For students, this includes the academic modules relating to
their placement, and for Senior Preceptors, this could include online Trainer training. Both students
and Senior Preceptors will use the APPEL VLE for Competency Assessment, and the APPEL VLE also
hosts the placement matching system.
5th-Year Placement – Statutory eight-month experiential learning placement in the 5th year of the
five-year integrated pharmacy programme.
7
5th-Year Placements – Background Information
The New 5-Year Integrated Pharmacy Programme
The new pharmacy programme started in 2015, following a major review of the existing pharmacy
programme commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland. (PSI). This review is known as the
PEARs (Pharmacy Education and Accreditation Reviews) project, and in 2015 legislation was
introduced to require that all pharmacy students undertake a new five-year integrated programme.
The new five-year integrated programme follows a very different structure to previous pharmacy
programmes, in that students remain registered at their Higher Education Institution (HEI) for five
years and undertake three experiential learning placements during this time, namely in 2nd, 4th and
5th year.
Experiential learning placements are workplace-based learning experiences, which are overseen by
APPEL on behalf of the Schools of Pharmacy. In its simplest form, experiential learning means learning
from experience or learning by doing. Experiential learning is designed to expose students to real-life
practice as a means of putting their academic studies into context and refers to learning undertaken
by students within real-world pharmacy settings. To facilitate experiential learning during APPEL
placement hours, the primary relationship between the student and their Senior Preceptor is that of
a student and a Trainer.
It has been set out in legislation that an eight-month experiential learning placement will be
undertaken in the 5th year of the integrated pharmacy programme.
8
5th-Year Placements – Practical Information
When? 6th January 2020 – 28th August 2020
What time? The placement schedule is set by APPEL. The hours of placement are:
Monday 8.00 am – 6.00 pm 8.5 hrs daily including an hour for lunch
Tuesday 8.00 am – 6.00 pm 8.5 hrs daily including an hour for lunch
Thursday 8.00 am – 6.00 pm 8.5 hrs daily including an hour for lunch
Friday 8.00 am – 6.00 pm 8.5 hrs daily including an hour for lunch
You are not expected to attend placement on bank holidays and a two-week holiday period has also
been scheduled as follows:
Holidays
St. Patrick’s Day 17th March
Good Friday 10th April
Easter Monday 13th April
May Bank Holiday 4th May
August Bank Holiday 3rd August
Two-week holidays 1st – 12th June
In addition, the placement schedule follows a University timetable and therefore, two reading/study
weeks have been set for students by their HEI as follows:
UCC Reading/Study Weeks
16th to 20th March
3rd to 7th August (or as agreed with UCC School of Pharmacy)
RCSI Reading/Study Weeks
20th to 24th April
20th to 24th July
Trinity Reading/Study Weeks
20th to 24th April
20th to 24th July
9
*Please note: APPEL placement is not scheduled on Wednesdays. Wednesdays
have been protected to allow you to complete your academic work, as
directed by your lecturers.
APPEL will only consider a change to the placement schedule in exceptional
circumstances and on a case-by-case basis.
What happens if I miss some placement time?
This is a statutory placement, which is defined in law as being ‘no less than eight consecutive months’
in duration. Thus, 100% attendance is expected on placement. To ensure that all students meet the
statutory attendance requirements for the placement, your Practice Educator(s) need to be made
aware of any absences which occur during placement, so that they can keep your School of Pharmacy
updated regarding your attendance. Absence from placement will be managed by your School of
Pharmacy in accordance with their own student attendance policy.
It is also essential that you contact your Training Establishment if you are unable to attend placement.
Any absences during the placement schedule must be reported, as follows:
Unexpected absences, e.g. due to sudden illness or bereavement - Contact the Training
Establishment AND your Practice Educator. At induction, ask your Senior Preceptor for the name
and contact details of the person to contact at the TE if you are absent. If your PE is unavailable
and has an out of office response to your email, please contact ops@appel.ie.
Anticipated absences, e.g. due to family wedding or driving test - Contact your Practice Educator
well in advance of the absence.
Remember: One of the behaviours you will be assessed against is ‘ensures punctuality and reliability.’
What will I be doing during my experiential learning placement?
As this is the final placement you undertake before you are eligible to register as a pharmacist, it is
your final opportunity to develop competency in the core behaviours of a pharmacist under the
guidance and supervision of a Senior Preceptor. At the end of the experiential learning placement,
you will be required to demonstrate that you are competent in all 178 behaviours of the Core
Competency Framework (CCF) – this will be assessed in your final Competency Assessment by your
Senior Preceptor. Additionally, the Professional Registration Exam (PRE) is aligned with the CCF.
During the placement, you will be given the opportunity to undertake activities that will enable you
to practise the 178 behaviours of the CCF. A list of these can be found on the PSI website or the APPEL
website. To demonstrate the required level of competency in each of the behaviours, you will have
to undertake many different activities that will relate to one or more of the CCF behaviours. A training
plan will enable you, in conjunction with your Senior Preceptor, to plan a sufficient range of activities
so that you can demonstrate competency in each of the behaviours. A sample Induction and Training
Plan can be found in Appendix I.
10APPEL has created ‘Guidance on Delivering APPEL Experiential Learning Placements,’ which provides
examples of activities you may undertake on your experiential learning placement to develop
competency (www.appel.ie). This guidance was developed to support TEs and Trainers in the delivery
of experiential learning placements that promote the educational experience of students.
It should be clear to all staff, patients, and members of the public that you are a student on an
experiential learning placement. For this reason, you must wear the badge your School of Pharmacy
has provided to you which identifies you as a pharmacy student.
During the eight-month experiential learning placement, you will also complete three online modules
(co-developed and co-delivered by UCC, RCSI, and Trinity academic staff), as well as other academic
modules that will be specified by your School of Pharmacy. The online modules are aligned to the six
domains of the PSI Core Competency Framework and will enable you to develop an understanding
of the theory underpinning the behaviours that you are expected to practise on placement.
What is the Professional Registration Exam (PRE)?
A student becomes eligible to sit the PRE once they have successfully passed the Competency
Assessment (i.e. reached a level 4 in all 178 behaviours) on their 5th-year experiential learning
placement, in addition to fulfilling attendance and academic requirements. In 2020, the PRE will take
place in RCSI. There are two opportunities to sit the PRE each year:
First opportunity to sit PRE: 26th September 2020
Second opportunity to sit PRE: 5th February 2021
This is an examination composed of a number of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
stations. A mock PRE will be held on 24th June 2020, to familiarise all students with the exam format
– further details will be provided in due course.
What do I do if a critical incident occurs on placement?
For your safety and welfare, you must contact your PE or the APPEL office if a critical incident arises
while on your experiential learning placement. A critical incident is any actual or alleged event or
situation that creates a significant risk of substantial or serious harm to the physical or mental health,
safety, or well-being of a student. Examples include, but are not limited to, death or serious illness
of a member of staff or patient, fire, hold-up, or burglary.
What do I do if an opportunity to travel presents while on placement?
Travel within the Republic of Ireland
There may be many reasons that the opportunity to travel within the Republic of Ireland presents
while you are on your experiential learning placement: team meetings in a different office,
conferences relating to your experiential learning placement, presentations, or workshops (this list
is not exhaustive). This presents a great opportunity for you to develop competencies relating to
teamwork and collaboration and is encouraged by APPEL. However, if you have any concerns with
11regards to your health and safety, impact on your personal circumstances, or any other matter
please contact your Practice Educator or the APPEL office.
Travel between Training Establishment sites
Students can only complete their experiential learning placement in their assigned accredited
Training Establishment. If there is a need for the student to move to a different location/branch, on
a temporary or permanent basis, placement providers should engage with APPEL regarding the
accreditation status of the proposed new TE.
International Travel
Although APPEL does not expect opportunities to travel overseas to arise very often, APPEL has
developed a process to safeguard student health and safety where this does occur. If the opportunity
to travel overseas as part of your placement presents, contact the APPEL Office on 01-4025129 or
ops@appel.ie as soon as possible to start the approval process.
What is the role of my Senior Preceptor?
Your Senior Preceptor will play a pivotal role in supporting you on your journey through your
experiential learning placement to professional autonomy. Professional autonomy means that
following successful completion of the 5th-year experiential learning placement and the PRE, you will
be an independent, self-directing professional pharmacist who is wholly responsible for all decisions
and judgements you make. Your Senior Preceptor will guide you to develop the requisite skills and
attitude, and will enable you to build on your existing knowledge and experience, so that by the end
of the experiential learning placement, you will have the skills, knowledge, and expertise required to
be registered as a safe and competent pharmacist and to practice autonomously.
Induction: Your Senior Preceptor will plan an induction for you prior to your experiential learning
placement. It is expected that your induction will be carried out at the start of your experiential
learning placement so that you can become familiar with the practicalities of your new learning
environment. APPEL provides your Senior Preceptor with a sample Induction Plan (Appendix I) – your
Senior Preceptor may decide to use this, or they may follow their own induction structure.
Training Plan: APPEL has developed a template Training Plan to guide you and your Senior Preceptor
in planning activities, which will provide you with the opportunity to develop all the CCF behaviours
(Appendix I). You are required to complete a Training Plan, in conjunction with your Senior Preceptor,
to ensure that you have identified opportunities to develop competency in all of the required
behaviours. The Training Plan should be treated as a living document – you should take responsibility
for updating it, to document which activities you have undertaken and to identify which behaviours
you need to focus on. To ensure that all CCF behaviours are captured in your Training Plan, you are
encouraged to use the ‘Competency Assessment Behaviours’ document on the APPEL website in
conjunction with your training plan.
Supervision: All students on an experiential learning placement must be supervised to ensure that
patient safety is a prime focus – remember that your 5th-year placement is your final opportunity to
12practise the behaviours of the CCF, in a supportive, experiential learning environment, in which you
can seek the guidance, and benefit from the experience, of a qualified pharmacist. The legislation for
the 5th-year experiential learning placement states that the experiential learning placement should
be under the direct supervision of the Senior Preceptor. This means that your Senior Preceptor will
be directly supervising you during the experiential learning placement; however, there may also be
times during your experiential learning placement when your Senior Preceptor is unavailable, and
another pharmacist will supervise you. If this occurs, there should be a significant level of interaction
between you, the Senior Preceptor and any other pharmacist involved in your supervision. The
legislation further states that a Senior Preceptor must directly supervise one student completing a
5th-year experiential learning placement. However, the Senior Preceptor can supervise up to three
students in total, if there are other pharmacists employed at the TE, who can assist with the
supervision of the students.
To support you in your development on your experiential learning placement, APPEL requires Senior
Preceptors to be employed for a minimum of three days per week or equivalent. Additionally, your
Senior Preceptor should miss no more than four weeks during the experiential learning placement.
If your Senior Preceptor is not available as outlined above, please contact your PE, as alternative
arrangements may have to be made.
Placement Support
One of APPEL’s primary goals is to support students before, during, and after their experiential
learning placements. This support is provided in several ways. If you have any questions or concerns
about your experiential learning placement, please don’t hesitate to contact your PE or the APPEL
office. All contact details can be found at www.appel.ie or on page 43 of this handbook.
135th-Year Placements – Essential Information
APPEL wants all students, Trainers, and Training Establishments to have an enjoyable and rewarding
experiential learning placement. The information that is essential to achieving this goal is found in
the sections below and should be read carefully by all students.
Competency Assessment
Competency Assessment
This is the final placement you will complete before you are: 1) eligible to complete the PRE, and 2)
upon successful completion of the PRE, able to register as a pharmacist. Therefore, it is expected that
you will demonstrate the behaviours expected of a safe and competent pharmacist, albeit under the
direct supervision of your Senior Preceptor, by the end of your experiential learning placement, i.e.
those described in the CCF. The CCF contains six domains and each domain is further divided into
competencies. A number of behavioural statements are given for each competency to demonstrate
1
how individual pharmacists who have that competency behave in practice. While on your experiential
learning placement, you must achieve a level 4 on the Competency Assessment Ratings scale for all
178 behaviours in the CCF (a complete list of behaviours can be found on the APPEL website).
There will be two Competency Assessments by your Senior Preceptor during your placement:
Formative: To be completed by 31st March 2020
Summative: To be completed by 31st July 2020
It is important to remember that competency is demonstrated through your actions and
behaviour i.e. a student with an excellent knowledge of communications theory may not
have developed excellent communications skills and a student with little knowledge of
communications theory may be an excellent communicator. Thus, the activities you
undertake on placement will contribute to your development of competency.
If you are experiencing any issues with competency achievement, contact your Practice Educator as
soon as possible. The PE will support you and your Senior Preceptor with developing a focused training
plan to give you the opportunity to practise specific behaviours which are not yet at level 4.
2
Placement Supports
APPEL’s role is to support students, Trainers and TEs before, during and after
placements. Your PE is your first point of contact both in your School and in APPEL.
The APPEL office is also available if you need additional support or are unable to
contact your PE. Contact details for all APPEL team members are available on the
APPEL website www.appel.ie and on page 43 of this handbook.
Contact your Practice Educator with all other queries* relating to your placement
and your Competency Assessment. Examples of queries can be found on page 23.
*Academic Queries: Please note that any query relating to academic material should be directed to the appropriate
module co-ordinator/lecturer.
14Placement Governance
3
STUDENTS
You are required to:
Sign and abide by the Student Placement Agreement (Appendix III)
Abide by the Schools of Pharmacy Joint Code of Conduct
Read the Student Handbook
Attend the Pre-Placement Preparation Session
PRECEPTORS
Your Senior Preceptor is required to:
Sign and abide by the Trainer Placement Agreement
Undertake APPEL Senior Preceptor accreditation
Complete the required training
Be a PSI-registered pharmacist with at least 3 years’ post-registration experience
and a minimum of 2 years’ experience in the field of pharmacy practice in which they are
supervising your placement
Directly supervise student(s) on placement with regular face-to-face meetings as required. Other
registered pharmacists can assist with supervision - if this is the case there should be a significant
level of interaction between you (the student), your Senior Preceptor and any other pharmacist
who supervises you in your Senior Preceptor’s absence.
Have a maximum absence during placement of 4 weeks
TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS
Your Training Establishment is required to:
Sign and abide by a Placement Agreement
Undertake APPEL accreditation – declarations, insurance, vetting, health and safety, suitable
placement environment, provides induction and training, etc.
155th-Year Placements – Detailed Information
1. Competency Assessment
During your 5th-year experiential learning placement, you are required to demonstrate competency
in all of the behaviours in the six domains of the PSI CCF. The six domains are:
1. Professional Practice
2. Personal Skills
3. Supply of Medicines
4. Safe and Rational Use of Medicines
5. Public Health
6. Organisation and Management
The 178 behaviours listed in the PSI CCF are those expected of a newly registered pharmacist for the
first three years of their registration in Ireland. To facilitate you to develop the required level of
competency in each of these behaviours, your Senior Preceptor will identify opportunities and
activities that will allow you to practise these behaviours. You will be actively developing your
competency in each behaviour, most likely in a number of different ways and a number of times while
on your experiential learning placement, under the guidance and supervision of your Senior
Preceptor. Competency development requires you to actively undertake tasks related to the
behaviours, as professional skills cannot be acquired by observation alone.
As previously mentioned, you are expected to develop a training plan in conjunction with your Senior
Preceptor (Appendix I). The purpose of a training plan is to identify competencies which still require
attention, while also documenting activities you have undertaken which have allowed you to develop
and demonstrate your competency in other activities. It is envisaged that you will need to update the
training plan regularly, in particular after the formative Competency Assessment. In the beginning,
you will likely need more guidance from your Senior Preceptor on the activities you can undertake to
develop competency. As you settle into your role in your Training Establishment, updating your
Training Plan will become your responsibility.
APPEL has developed guidelines (Appendix II) to promote the educational experience of students on
experiential learning placements. The guidelines aim to ensure that students have the opportunity
to undertake activities related to the development of their competency in all 178 behaviours. If you
or your Senior Preceptor have any queries regarding the competencies or the activities you are
undertaking, please contact a Practice Educator.
16Competency Assessment Process
There will be two Competency Assessments during your experiential learning placement – one
formative and one summative.
DEADLINES FOR COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT
Formative assessment to be completed by 31st March 2020
Summative assessment to be completed by 31st July 2020
The Competency Assessment ratings are recorded on the Competency Assessment tool on the APPEL
virtual learning environment (VLE). There are three steps to the Competency Assessment process
(see diagram below). Firstly, you need to self-assess your competency for each of the behaviours.
Separately, your Senior Preceptor will assess your competency. When your Senior Preceptor is
documenting their ratings, they will be able to view your self-assessment ratings. The next step is for
you and your Senior Preceptor to schedule a meeting to review your progress. This will allow you to
identify behaviours which you should focus on developing, as well as guide you in updating your
training plan.
Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:
Senior Meeting between student and
Student self- Preceptor Senior Preceptor to review both
assessment assessment assessments
Step 1 You will complete a self-assessment exercise and assign yourself a rating in each of the
behaviours, based on what you consider your competency rating to be.
Step 2 Your Senior Preceptor will also assign you a rating in each of the competency behaviours
based on their experience of your competency.
Step 3 A meeting is organised between you and your Senior Preceptor to review the respective
ratings together. The following should be discussed as part of this meeting:
Your Senior Preceptor should provide constructive feedback that (i) identifies
those areas where you have performed well and (ii) highlights where improvement
is needed and how this may be achieved.
Identify the areas where you are not at the required rating; explore why this may
be? Have you not yet had opportunities to develop this competency, or do you
require more practice in certain activities to develop the competency? In
collaboration with your Senior Preceptor, identify activities that may provide
opportunities for you to develop these competencies and document these in your
training plan.
17Helpful Hints
When you meet with your Senior Preceptor to review the Competency Assessments, we recommend
that you particularly focus on the following areas:
Behaviours in which your competency level is lower than the required standard – it is
recommended that you discuss potential opportunities for development in these behaviours with
your Senior Preceptor.
Behaviours in which there is a discrepancy in the competency level assessed by you and your
Senior Preceptor – try to understand the reason for the difference by asking your Senior Preceptor for
specific examples of how you can improve in these areas.
Competency Assessment Ratings
By the summative Competency Assessment, you are required to achieve a level 4 rating in all
behaviours of the CCF. The achievement of this required standard in the summative Competency
Assessment is one of the criteria you must meet to be eligible to sit the PRE.
The competency assessment ratings are explained below (Table 1). A level 4 means that you
‘demonstrate the expected standard practice with rare lapses.’ To achieve a level 4 rating in the
Competency Assessment, it is likely that you will need to undertake several different activities on a
number of occasions related to each behaviour.
Table 1: Competency Assessment Ratings*
Level Rating Definition Percentage
Student not exposed to this behaviour in the Training
N/A Cannot N/A
Establishment.
Very rarely meets the standard expected.
1 Rarely 0-20%
No logical thought process appears to apply.
2 Sometimes Much more haphazard than “mostly.” 21-50%
3 Mostly Implies standard practice with occasional lapses. 51-84%
4 Consistently Demonstrates the expected standard practice with rare lapses. 85-100%
*Adapted from the Competency Development & Evaluation Group Framework (CoDEG)
Not Applicable (N/A): It is expected that you will achieve a level 4 rating in all 178 CCF behaviours by
the summative Competency Assessment. However, if you or your Senior Preceptor have any concerns
that a particular behaviour is not applicable or cannot be achieved in your TE, please ensure that you
and your Senior Preceptor contact a Practice Educator as soon as possible to discuss.
18Please note: The Schools of Pharmacy reserve the right to further engage with students whose
Competency Assessments indicate that a particular behaviour could not be demonstrated in their
placement, i.e., where a behaviour is rated as Not Applicable.
Focused Training Plan: If you do not achieve a level 4 in all 178 behaviours in the summative
Competency Assessment, you should contact a PE immediately. The PE will support you and your
Senior Preceptor in developing a focused training plan for the final four weeks of the placement to
give you opportunities to specifically practise behaviours which are not yet at a level 4. The final
Competency Assessment will remain open for your Senior Preceptor until the end of the placement
to allow your Senior Preceptor to amend any scores given if required.
What is the difference between formative and summative Competency
Assessments?
Formative Assessment: This type of assessment is also known as assessment for learning. Therefore,
the purpose of formative assessment is to allow you and your Senior Preceptor to identify behaviours
that you need to practise and improve upon and to support your development on placement. The
ratings recorded at this point do not contribute towards your overall assessment outcome. The
formative assessment needs to be completed by the 31st March 2020, so that you and your Senior
Preceptor have sufficient time to identify practice opportunities for all behaviours which do not meet
the required standard at this point. There is no expectation that students will have reached the
required standard of competency by the formative assessment.
Summative Assessment: This type of assessment is also known as assessment of learning. The
summative assessment is your final Competency Assessment and must be completed by the 31st July
2020. This Competency Assessment is the final one, and it is mandatory to achieve the required
standard to be eligible to sit the PRE.
19Competency Assessment Questions
1. Why is the first (formative) competency assessment completed so early in the placement?
The first assessment is a formative assessment (assessment for learning). It is undertaken
early in the placement, to allow you to become familiar with the 178 behaviours and to
identify behaviours that you will need to practise and improve upon prior to the summative
assessment. By completing the first assessment by the 31st March, this provides you, along
with your Senior Preceptor, sufficient time to identify practice opportunities to support your
competency development – you should ensure that you document this in your training plan.
The ratings achieved in the first Competency Assessment do not contribute towards the
overall assessment outcome. There would be no expectation that any student will have
reached the required standard of competency by this first assessment.
2. Why is the final assessment completed at the end of seven months, when the placement
lasts for eight months?
The final assessment is completed at the end of seven months, to allow time for a focused
training period for any behaviours that are not yet at the required standard (level 4 on the
CoDEG framework).
3. How would I rate myself at the first assessment, if I haven’t been exposed to a behaviour
yet?
You should use the ‘Not Applicable (N/A)’ rating. When you enter a N/A rating on the APPEL
VLE, you will be required to enter a reason in the feedback box; if you haven’t been exposed
to this behaviour yet, you can simply enter “Not Yet.” However, if you and your Senior
Preceptor do not believe this behaviour can be applied to your practice environment, please
contact a Practice Educator as soon as possible to discuss.
Please note: The Schools of Pharmacy reserve the right to further engage with students
whose Competency Assessments indicate that a number of behaviours could not be
demonstrated in their placement, i.e., behaviours were rated as Not Applicable.
20Competency Assessment Questions (contd)
4. What do I do if I am worried that I will not achieve the required rating (level 4) in the
summative Competency Assessment?
In the first instance, it is important to discuss your concern with your Senior Preceptor.
Throughout the placement, you should be updating your training plan – by keeping your
training plan up to date; you can identify any areas of concern earlier in the placement. If
both your Senior Preceptor and you remain concerned that you will not achieve the
required rating in the summative Competency Assessment, it is essential that you contact
your PE as early as possible. Your PE can support you and your Senior Preceptor with ideas
for potential opportunities to develop the particular behaviours. It will be the decision of
your Senior Preceptor as to whether the suggested activities can be undertaken in your
Training Establishment.
5. What do I do if I have not achieved a level 4 in every behaviour in the summative
Competency Assessment?
Contact a PE as soon as possible. They will support you and your Senior Preceptor in
developing a focused training plan. The focused training plan documents opportunities that
you can undertake, which are designed to facilitate you in improving your level of
competency.
If, after the focused training period, you have not reached the required competency level,
your School of Pharmacy, in conjunction with APPEL, will recommend an additional training
period for the student. APPEL will liaise with the student to find a suitable Training
Establishment to complete the additional training period.
212. Support
APPEL’s role is to support you while you are on your experiential learning placement. Make sure to
get in touch with either your Practice Educator(s) or the APPEL office (see page 43) if you have any
queries or issues relating to your experiential learning placement. APPEL regularly receives many
queries, and no question is too small to ask. We will handle queries or concerns with discretion.
Issues/concerns raised by students will only be communicated to those who need to be made aware
(e.g., Head of School, APPEL Director, and National Coordinator, Student Support Services, or others
as appropriate). Please note: Your PE will inform you before passing such information on. The most
important thing to remember is that we can’t provide support if we are unaware there is an issue.
Examples of queries that APPEL has previously received include:
Requests from students or their Trainers to attend on different days or times
Reasonable accommodations required due to personal health circumstances
Critical incidents arising on placements, e.g. robbery in the pharmacy
Support with finding opportunities to develop competency
Concerns regarding delayed induction
TOP TIP: If you have a question for APPEL, check the frequently asked questions (FAQ)
section of our website www.appel.ie, as it may have been asked previously. Practice
Educators are happy to answer any question also, so make sure to stay in touch.
3. Placement Governance
APPEL has implemented a quality assurance process for all experiential learning placements.
Students, Trainers, and Training Establishments are all required to partake in the governance
22processes, as described below, to ensure that placements are a rewarding and enjoyable experience
for all.
Students
Student Placement Agreement
A Student Placement Agreement must be completed in advance of your placement.
A copy of the Student Placement Agreement can be found in Appendix III of this handbook.
Ensure that you have read and understood this agreement, as this contains the terms and
conditions of your APPEL placement. By signing this agreement, you have agreed to be bound
by these terms and conditions.
Student Handbook
This APPEL Student Handbook has been created by APPEL to be used by students as a resource prior
to and during placement. If you have any questions on the content, please contact your Practice
Educator(s).
APPEL Pre-Placement Preparation
APPEL is hosting pre-placement preparation seminars in each HEI prior to the placement start date.
Attendance at your timetabled pre-placement preparation seminar is mandatory. Information will
be provided at these seminars regarding the practicalities of the 5th-year experiential learning
placement, Competency Assessment and the PRE, as well as tips from APPEL for a successful
experiential learning placement. An academic member of staff from each School of Pharmacy will
speak about the academic modules.
Code of Conduct and Student Responsibilities
As a pharmacy student on an experiential learning placement, you have responsibilities, as set out in
the Student Placement Agreement and below. Any deviation from these responsibilities could be a
potential breach of your Schools of Pharmacy Joint Student Code of Conduct (available on the APPEL
website www.appel.ie). Please note that all of the following are your responsibility:
Dress and personal appearance must be neat, clean and appropriate for the placement
environment.
Respect privacy and confidentiality, in line with the General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR).
Turn off any mobile phones/tablets you have with you. Access them only on breaks and in
appropriate locations, unless requested otherwise by a staff member at the Training
Establishment.
Contact APPEL regarding any matter which may require consideration in the arrangement of
your placement or the activities you undertake during your placement, e.g. pregnancy, allergy,
infection, etc.
23Senior Preceptors
Senior Preceptor Accreditation
APPEL has implemented a Trainer accreditation process as part of the quality assurance
process for placements. Each pharmacist wishing to register as an APPEL Senior Preceptor must
complete a number of declarations, including a connections declaration, a declaration that they will
complete APPEL Senior Preceptor training and the legal declarations required by SI 377/2014. In
addition, APPEL Senior Preceptors must sign a Placement Agreement in advance of the experiential
learning placement. A sample Trainer Placement Agreement can be found on www.appel.ie. This
contains the terms and conditions of being an APPEL Senior Preceptor. By signing this agreement,
the Senior Preceptor agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions.
Senior Preceptor Training
Each APPEL Senior Preceptor must undertake APPEL training. This can be undertaken in a face-to-face
training session or online. Regardless of the mode of training, an assessment must be completed to
the required standard, on completion of the training.
APPEL Senior Preceptor Requirements
Each student will have a named Senior Preceptor Pharmacist for their experiential learning placement.
The role of the Senior Preceptor is to support you in your development as a pharmacy professional by
directly supervising your experiential learning placement. Senior Preceptors can recognise, facilitate
and support opportunities for you to practise behaviours of the PSI CCF, which are required to be
achieved at a level 4 before you are eligible to sit the PRE.
According to the legislation, a Senior Preceptor needs to meet certain requirements:
1. The Senior Preceptor must be a PSI-registered pharmacist with 3 years’ post-registration
experience and with a minimum of 2 years’ experience in the practice setting in which they
are supervising a student.
2. The Senior Preceptor must provide onsite direct supervision with regular meetings, as
required. Therefore, APPEL requires the Senior Preceptor to be onsite for a minimum of 3
days* per week or equivalent.
*Please note that this does not specify that the Senior Preceptor must be directly supervising the
student for these 3 days. However, there should be a significant level of interaction between the
student, the Senior Preceptor and any other Pharmacist who supervises the student in the Senior
Preceptor’s absence. Additionally, the Senior Preceptor should miss no more than four weeks during
your experiential learning placement. In the event that your Senior Preceptor is not available as
outlined above, please contact your Practice Educator, as alternative arrangements may have to be
made.
Please remember that many different staff members at your Training Establishment can contribute
to your development and this is not limited to one person.
24Training Establishments
Training Establishment Accreditation
APPEL has implemented a Training Establishment accreditation process as part of the
quality assurance process for experiential learning placements. The owner of the Training
Establishment must complete declarations, including a connections declaration and the legal
declarations required by SI 377/2014. Additionally, the Training Establishment must complete a Joint
Written Agreement for Student Vetting, as well as the Placement Agreement.
The Placement Agreement outlines the responsibilities of both APPEL and the Training
Establishment in their respective participation in experiential learning placement(s). The Training
Establishment is required to sign this agreement to indicate their acceptance of the terms and
conditions included within. This agreement details experiential learning placement requirements
including insurance, induction, health and safety requirements, the suitability of placement
environment and that the Training Establishment has the capacity to provide you with adequate
supervision.
Getting the Most from Your Experiential Learning Placement
In Canada, the strategies employed by pharmacy students to ensure success in their
experiential learning placements have been identified (Jackson, 2015). These include:
Appear interested at all times and show that you value this experiential opportunity.
Show enthusiasm for learning.
Demonstrate independence.
Show initiative and make contributions in the experiential setting.
Be inquisitive, but expect to answer (most of) your own questions.
Never make anything up!
Integrate yourself into the placement environment.
Embrace spontaneous learning experiences.
Be respectful of the Training Establishment environment.
Be appreciative of the time and energy being invested in you by your Preceptor and
other staff members of the Training Establishment.
Consider your experiential placement as an extended job interview.
________________________________________________________
Jackson, L. D. (2015). Strategies pharmacy students can use to ensure success in an
experiential placement. Can Pharm J (Ott), 148(6), 308-313.
25Frequently Asked Questions
Please find below the answers to frequently asked questions. If you have any further queries after
reading the handbook, contact your Practice Educator.
What will I be doing during this 5th-Year Experiential Learning Placement?
This experiential learning placement will give you the opportunity to develop the
competencies required of a pharmacist, which are divided into 178 discrete behaviours in the
PSI’s CCF. As this is your final experiential learning placement prior to your PRE, you will be
required to undertake a variety of tasks and activities. These tasks should demonstrate to your
Senior Preceptor that you have the required level of competency in all 178 CCF behaviours to
practice safely and effectively as a pharmacist.
In addition, you will complete three online modules and other academic
modules/requirements while attending your experiential learning placement, all of which are
set by your School of Pharmacy. The online modules are aligned to the six domains of the PSI
Core Competency Framework, are jointly developed, delivered, and assessed by the three
Schools of Pharmacy and are designed to support you in understanding the theory
underpinning the competency behaviours.
While on your experiential learning placement, you will have to complete two Competency
Assessments together with your Preceptor. 5th -year students must achieve a level 4 (on the
CoDEG framework) for all 178 behaviours in the PSI Core Competency Framework in the
summative Competency Assessment.
Can I change my placement hours?
Placements are timetabled by APPEL to ensure that students have dedicated time for both
directed and self-directed learning. As the 5th-year experiential learning placement is defined in
law as being ‘not less than eight consecutive months in duration,’ 100% attendance is expected.
If you are unable to attend due to illness or emergency, you must notify both your Training
Establishment and your Practice Educator as soon as possible. Furthermore, you should make
their Practice Educator aware of any anticipated non-attendance well in advance.
In specific circumstances, APPEL is happy to consider requests for an exceptional timetable
modification.
26Who do I contact if I am sick on a Wednesday and unavailable for academic
commitments?
Contact your academic Module Co-coordinator/College Tutor (for Trinity students).
Why don’t I attend placement on a Wednesday?
Wednesdays are reserved within the experiential learning placement timetable for academic
activities. There is an academic requirement to complete 10 hours directed study and 10
hours of self-directed study every week for 5th-year students.
Who is responsible for the quality of my experiential learning placement?
APPEL is responsible for quality assuring experiential learning placements. This involves robust
processes and procedures for selecting, assessing, accrediting, and appointing Senior Preceptors
and Training Establishments. All Senior Preceptors undertake APPEL Trainer Training, and there
are support structures in place for students and Senior Preceptors during the experiential
learning placement.
27APPENDIX I – Sample Induction and Training Plan for 5th-Year
Experiential Learning Placements
Student Name:
Senior Preceptor Name:
HOUSEKEEPING CHECKLIST
Placement hours are: ______________________________________________________
Daily lunch time: __________________________________________________________
Introduce student to members of staff
Assign a ‘buddy’ to the student (if required)
Name of ‘buddy’:
_______________________________________________________________
Name of contact person if Senior Preceptor not available:
_______________________________________________________________
Date Planning
Student-Senior Preceptor Meetings / Training Plan Review Dates:
Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time
Competency Assessment Dates:
1st (Formative) Competency Date 2nd (Summative) Competency Date
Assessment Assessment
1. Student Self-Assessment 1. Student Self-Assessment
2. Senior Preceptor Assessment 2. Senior Preceptor
Assessment
3. Feedback Session 3. Feedback Session
To be completed by March 31st To be completed by July 31st
Planned Senior Preceptor Annual Leave Dates: Student will be supervised in absence by:
Student Schedule: Dates:
Student Reading Week 1
Student Reading Week 2
Student Holidays (2 weeks)
28PLACEMENT EXPECTATIONS
Student: What is important for me for a successful placement?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Preceptor: What is important for me for a successful placement?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Student’s personal learning objectives while on placement:
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Student’s previous pharmacy or other relevant experience:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ACCESSING APPEL SUPPORTS
Name of Practice Educator (s) (PE (s))
PE(s) email
PE(s) phone number
APPEL ops email ops@appel.ie
APPEL ops phone number 01 402 5129
Additional Notes:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
29The Senior Preceptors and the student should agree on a training plan relevant to the placement setting.
This should include a plan for opportunities for the student to practice all of the competencies of the PSI Core
Competency Framework against which the Senior Preceptor will be assessing the student. The student should
be appropriately supervised at all times.
The full list of the 178 behaviours of the PSI Core Competency Framework can be found at
https://www.thepsi.ie/libraries/publications/psi_core_competency_framework_for_pharmacists.sflb.ashx
It may be useful to assign anticipated dates to each activity, to support student and Senior Preceptor planning.
The three steps in the Competency Assessment process are outlined below.
Student self
assessment
Preceptor
assessment
Meeting and
Feedback
In self-assessing for the first (formative) Competency Assessment, students should reflect on their learning
and experiences from 2nd and 4th-year placements to help them to identify those behaviours they may wish to
further practise and improve upon.
Students and their Senior Preceptors should also agree on how feedback will be communicated both formally
(e.g., Competency Assessment meetings, regularly scheduled meetings) and informally (e.g., on the spot
feedback) throughout the placement.
Please contact your Practice Educator if you would like any support in developing the training plan, or for
further information, please see the APPEL website.
30You can also read
