About this PGY2 Pharmacy Residency Program
Description
The critical care pharmacy residency program at the University of Utah Health offers a specialized training experience in which residents are fully integrated into interdisciplinary teams that include physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, dietary specialists, social workers, and case management. The hospital is a Level I Trauma Center, an accredited center for Stroke, ECMO, and PAH, and home of the Intermountain Burn Center. As a major referral site for the Intermountain West, high acuity patients are transferred for specialized care from several surrounding states (Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Montana, Colorado, and New Mexico). This residency will enhance professionalism and help to develop the knowledge and skills needed to provide comprehensive medication management to diverse critically ill patients. Residents will also enhance their leadership skills and practice management in a critical care environment. Upon completion of the residency, residents will be equipped to practice in a variety of acute care settings. The program is accredited by ASHP.
Purpose
Our PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives for advanced practice areas. Residents who successfully complete our PGY2 residency programs are prepared for advanced patient care or other specialized positions, and board certification in the advanced practice area, if available.
Goals
After successful completion of this critical care residency program, the resident shall be able to:
- Systematically and methodically develop care plans and monitor critically ill patients for efficacy of drug therapy and possible adverse drug events.
- Establish a high level of professional responsibility, dedication, skill and maturity to practice in a critical care clinical environment.
- Exhibit actions and behaviors of a highly sophisticated critical care practitioner and serve as a leader in clinical practice, medication safety, and policy/protocol development.
- Communicate, both verbally and in writing, with other health care professions, patients, and patients' family members, in a clear, concise, and effective manner.
- Attain a level of didactic knowledge that will enable the resident (after additional study and review) to pass the examination to become a Board Certified Critical Care Pharmacist (BCCCP).
- Demonstrate motivation and responsibility for honest self-assessment of skills sets and translate this into self-directed, independent study and learning.
Requirements
Rotation Experiences
The critical care residency offers the following required experiences:
-
Surgical ICU (4 weeks)
-
Cardiovascular/Cardiothoracic ICU (4 weeks)
-
Medical ICU (4 weeks)
-
Burn/Trauma ICU (4 weeks)
-
Neurology/Neurosurgical ICU (4 weeks)
-
Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
-
Advanced Heart Failure/Cardiac ICU (4 weeks)
-
Critical Care Practice Management and Leadership (Longitudinal)
-
Education (Longitudinal)
-
Research/Quality Improvement (Longitudinal)
-
Service Commitment (Longitudinal)
Many elective experiences are available, which include (but are not limited to) the following:
-
Critical Care Swings
-
Emergency Medicine/Critical Care Nocturnist
-
Infectious Diseases (Immunocompromised Service)
-
Hematology/Oncology ICU
-
Supportive Oncology Services (SOS)
The program is committed to individualizing schedules to meet the resident’s personal and career goals, including offering the opportunity for up to 4 weeks to be spent on rotation in an outside facility. Additionally, the resident will have the opportunity to attend cardiac arrests, rapid response activations, and brain attacks following the department’s standard operating procedures.
Teaching & Learning Opportunities
The resident will provide in-services to interprofessional colleagues and lead topic discussions during each rotation experience. The PGY2 Critical Care resident is actively involved in the training of PGY1 residents and pharmacy students. Residents will present a lecture at the college of pharmacy. The resident will also have the opportunity to present to fellow pharmacists and pharmacy technicians through an ACPE-accredited continuing education program (CE) as well as pro/con debate (completed in conjunction with the emergency resident co-resident). Numerous additional opportunities are available at the hospital, affiliated schools of pharmacy and medicine and our aeromedical transport. This residency includes an optional teaching certificate program.
Service Commitment (Staffing Component)
Clinical staffing will consist of one swing shift and weekend staffing (Saturday and Sunday) approximately every 3 weeks in an ICU that meets the needs of the department. Total requirement is 384 hours (or 48x8 hour shift equivalents). Residents are required to staff 1 major and 2 minor holidays. Participation in various community volunteer opportunities is encouraged, but not required.
Residency Research/Quality Improvement Project
Residents will complete their required research/quality improvement project within a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment, and as such, residents have the opportunity to meet regularly with other collaborators (e.g., physicians, nurses, etc.) to enhance their overall research design. Residents will demonstrate an understanding of the steps involved in planning and coordinating a project that furthers pharmacy practice, including, but not limited, to the following:
-
Project selection and defense to the Critical Care and/or the institution Resident Advisory Committee
-
Development of project proposal in IRB format and IRB approval as necessary
-
Identification and coordination of data collection and analysis
-
Presentation of research in platform format at Mountain States Conference
-
Preparation of a manuscript suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal
We utilize the 'flipped' research model, meaning the resident will come into an IRB/RAC approved project and perform data collection the first half of the year. The second half of the year will include implementation of the findings from the project. As the resident is more familiar with the institution's needs, they will pitch their own original research or QI project to IRB and RAC during the second half of the year.
Professional Meetings
The resident will attend Mountain States Conference. The resident may have the opportunity to attend the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Critical Care Congress and/or ASHP Midyear depending on the availability of department travel funds.
Qualifications
Candidates must graduate from an ACPE-accredited pharmacy program with a doctor of pharmacy degree (or equivalent combination of education and clinical experience). Residents must have completed an accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program. Applicants must be eligible for Utah licensure and are expected to obtain licensure as a pharmacist in Utah within 90 days of each program year. (The University of Utah Pharmacy residency programs do not sponsor visas.)
Program Director
Laura Steffens, PharmD, BCCCP, MS
Laura.Steffens@pharm.utah.edu
Bio:
Laura received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Utah College of Pharmacy in 2016. She continued on at University of Utah Health to complete both her PGY1 and PGY2 critical care pharmacy practice residencies in 2017 and 2018, respectively. She currently works as a critical care pharmacist at University of Utah Health, primarily in the burn trauma ICU and medical ICU. She has an active adjunct faculty position at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, biking, hiking, playing pickle ball, cross-country skiing, and spending time with her family.
Program Coordinator
Colton Radford, PharmD, BCCCP
Colton.Radford@utah.edu
Bio:
Colton was born and raised in southeastern Idaho and graduated from Idaho State University College of Pharmacy in 2019. He completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico before moving to Salt Lake City, Utah to complete a PGY2 critical care residency at the University of Utah Health. After residency, Colton settled into his role as a swing shift pharmacist in the MICU/BTICU and is excited to step into the role as RPC.
Outside of work, he strives to be the best dog dad possible to his adorable goldendoodle, Penelope. Additionally, Colton enjoys listening to fantasy/science fiction books, riding his Peloton, collecting Pokémon and baseball cards, building Legos, and finding new ice cream shops to try.