Effect of an Experiential Exercise in Diabetes Management on Pharmacy Students’ Fear and Perceived Pain of Injection and Fingertip Lancing

Abstract

Objective. To determine if a diabetes management exercise would change pharmacy students’ fear and perceived pain associated with injection and fingertip lancing.

Methods. Before and after a 1-week experiential exercise of living with diabetes, students completed questionnaires measuring fear of injection and self-testing and recorded the level of perceived pain associated with injection and fingertip lancing. Anticipated (baseline) and experienced (follow-up) scores were compared.

Results. Forty students returned both baseline and follow-up survey instruments. Reported levels of fear decreased significantly for self-injection (p<0.0001) and self-testing (p=0.0089) after the exercise. Experienced pain was also significantly lower than anticipated pain for both injection (p<0.0001) and fingertip lancing (p=0.013). Experienced pain of injection was significantly lower than fingertip lancing (p=0.017).

Conclusion. Participation in the exercise significantly reduced pharmacy students’ fear and perceived pain associated with injection and fingertip lancing. Students can use information gained from their experiences when helping patients manage diabetes.