Zubin Austin1, Paul A M Gregory2. 1. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3M2, Canada. Electronic address: zubin.austin@utoronto.ca. 2. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3M2, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The framing of competence as a binary "either-or" process may be shaped by the measurement tools and assessment methods used to define it. Blunt measures such as passing or failing a licensure examination, or revoking/suspending a license after a single dispensing error fosters anxiety amongst professionals and potentially leads to behaviours where learning needs are actually hidden from educators, employers or regulators. Such framing may not accurately capture the lived experience of those labelled "incompetent" and in fact may be counterproductive to remediation and skills enhancement. OBJECTIVES: To examine the construct of competence as a lived experience amongst pharmacists who had been identified and labelled as incompetent by their regulatory body. METHODS: A multiple single-case research design (described by Kratochwill and Levin) involving 14 practicing pharmacists identified as not meeting competence standards by their regulatory body in Ontario, Canada was used for this research. Constant-comparative qualitative analysis of semi-structured interview data was coded, categorized and used to identify and describe major research themes. RESULTS: Two major themes were identified, related to the personal and professional consequences of being labelled "incompetent" by one's regulatory body, and the importance of psychological engagement in one's own profession in facilitating maintenance of competence. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the importance of disengagement as both a cause and consequence of competence drift and pointed to the impact of regulatory policies, practices, and assessment systems that may actually inadvertently contribute to this disengagement.
BACKGROUND: The framing of competence as a binary "either-or" process may be shaped by the measurement tools and assessment methods used to define it. Blunt measures such as passing or failing a licensure examination, or revoking/suspending a license after a single dispensing error fosters anxiety amongst professionals and potentially leads to behaviours where learning needs are actually hidden from educators, employers or regulators. Such framing may not accurately capture the lived experience of those labelled "incompetent" and in fact may be counterproductive to remediation and skills enhancement. OBJECTIVES: To examine the construct of competence as a lived experience amongst pharmacists who had been identified and labelled as incompetent by their regulatory body. METHODS: A multiple single-case research design (described by Kratochwill and Levin) involving 14 practicing pharmacists identified as not meeting competence standards by their regulatory body in Ontario, Canada was used for this research. Constant-comparative qualitative analysis of semi-structured interview data was coded, categorized and used to identify and describe major research themes. RESULTS: Two major themes were identified, related to the personal and professional consequences of being labelled "incompetent" by one's regulatory body, and the importance of psychological engagement in one's own profession in facilitating maintenance of competence. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the importance of disengagement as both a cause and consequence of competence drift and pointed to the impact of regulatory policies, practices, and assessment systems that may actually inadvertently contribute to this disengagement.