Relations between the Proactive Coping Strategies, Stress Levels, and Achievement in Pharmacy Professional Practice Clerkship III (Osotsala Session)

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the levels of proactive coping strategies, levels of stress and their association with achievement in Pharmacy Professional Practice Clerkship III (Osotsala session). Methods: Study samples were 4^th year undergraduate students enrolling in Pharmacy Professional Practice Clerkship III in the 1^st semester of academic year 2014. Data were collected by asking the subjects to fill the questionnaires before and after clerkship activity. The questionnaires consisted of proactive coping inventory (Thai version) and Suanprung Stress Test-20. Results: Sixty seven subjects participated in the study. The students reported moderate levels of coping strategies in all 7 dimensions and high levels of stress scores both at before and after clerkship (51.34±16.22 and 47.96±15.03 points; respectively, from overall 100 points). Proactive coping dimension was significantly and negatively correlated with the clerkship achievement scores of pharmacy students (r=-0.293, p=0.016) while avoidance coping dimension was positively correlated to stress levels (r=0.242, p=0.048). The instrumental support seeking was the only dimension of coping strategies that had statistically significant and positive correlation with the clerkship achievement scores (r=0.253, p=0.039) and could predict the clerkship achievement scores with b= 0.296. The study found no statistical correlation between stress levels and the achievement in the Pharmacy Professional Practice Clerkship III (Osotsala session). Conclusion: The instrumental support seeking showed positive correlation to the clerkship achievement scores which suggested that pharmacy clerkship program should emphasize in student encouragement from preceptors.