Category: Career development

Harnessing the Power of Community: How It Boosts Work Performance

Posted on | by Locumate

When Locumate first came to fruition, our biggest focus was on building a community for our locums. When previously they had no support or group they belonged to, locums felt isolated and unappreciated for their efforts, especially during the pandemic. It was essential throughout the Locumate journey, that we create this community that had been lacking for too long in the industry. After all, communities bring people together, foster collaboration, and create a sense of belonging. A strong community can enhance work performance and contribute to individual and organisational success. So what are some ways in which communities provide the greatest benefits? See below!

Support and Motivation

Being part of a community provides individuals with a support system that can positively influence their work performance. When faced with challenges or setbacks, having a community to lean on can provide encouragement, guidance, and motivation. The support and motivation received from a community can inspire individuals to push beyond their limits, leading to improved work performance.

Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

When individuals come together, they bring a diverse range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. By tapping into this collective intelligence, community members can exchange ideas, share best practices, and learn from one another. Collaboration within a community not only expands individual knowledge but also enhances problem-solving abilities and boosts work performance. 

Continuous Learning and Development

Within a community, individuals can participate in workshops, seminars, webinars, and other educational activities that enhance their professional growth. Engaging in continuous learning allows individuals to stay updated with industry trends, acquire new skills, and expand their knowledge base. The access to valuable resources and the opportunity to learn from experts in the field can significantly impact work performance. By staying abreast of the latest developments and honing their skills, community members become more effective and efficient in their work.

Networking and Career Advancement

Communities serve as a networking platform that opens doors to new opportunities and career advancement. By connecting with like-minded professionals, individuals can expand their professional network, establish valuable relationships, and access a broader range of job prospects. Networking within a community can lead to mentorship, collaborations, and even referrals for new career opportunities. 

Well-being and Work-Life Balance

A sense of community promotes overall well-being and work-life balance. Feeling connected to others and having a support system outside of work positively impacts mental health and reduces stress levels. When individuals have a sense of belonging and connection, they are more likely to bring their whole selves to work, resulting in higher job satisfaction and improved work performance. 

A thriving community has the power to transform work performance by fostering support, collaboration, continuous learning, networking, and overall well-being. Together, we can build strong communities that empower individuals and elevate work performance to new heights.

Boosting Operational Efficiencies with Locumate: A Game-Changer in Healthcare

Posted on | by Locumate

In the fast-paced world of healthcare, ensuring optimal operational efficiency is crucial for delivering quality patient care. One significant challenge faced by pharmacies is managing staffing gaps, particularly in the case of temporary absences, such as vacations, illnesses, or parental leave. Locumate is transforming the way healthcare organisations tackle this issue. By seamlessly connecting pharmacies with qualified pharmacists, Locumate plays a vital role in optimising operations and ensuring uninterrupted care. In this blog post, we will explore how Locumate enhances operational efficiencies within the healthcare industry.

Streamlining Staffing Processes

Locumate simplifies and streamlines the process of finding and hiring temporary pharmacists. Traditionally, pharmacies had to rely on lengthy and time-consuming procedures to fill staffing gaps, often resulting in delays and compromised patient care. Locumate acts as a centralised platform that connects pharmacies with a big pool of locums, eliminating the need for extensive recruitment processes. A true marketplace!

Increasing Flexibility and Scalability

One of the key advantages of Locumate is its ability to provide pharmacies with increased flexibility and scalability. The platform offers a diverse pool of pharmacists  across various specialties (watch this space!). With Locumate, pharmacies can easily adjust their staffing levels based on fluctuating demand, ensuring that they have the right pharmacists available at all times. This flexibility not only improves operational efficiency but also reduces the strain on permanent staff, preventing burnout and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Enhancing Continuity of Care

Maintaining continuity of care is paramount in healthcare. Locumate enables pharmacies to bridge temporary staffing gaps seamlessly, ensuring patients receive uninterrupted care. This continuity reduces the risk of errors, enhances patient satisfaction, and ultimately improves health outcomes.

Optimising Cost Management

Effective cost management is a critical aspect of operational efficiency in healthcare. Locumate offers pharmacies a cost-effective solution for managing temporary staffing needs. By eliminating the expenses associated with traditional recruitment methods, such as advertising, agency fees, and extensive background checks, Locumate enables facilities to allocate their resources more efficiently. 

In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, operational efficiency is vital for delivering high-quality patient care. Locumate addresses the staffing challenges faced by pharmacies, offering a comprehensive solution to streamline operations, increase flexibility, enhance continuity of care and optimise cost management. As pharmacies  embrace this innovative platform, they can ensure uninterrupted services, improve patient outcomes, and create a positive work environment for their staff. With Locumate, the future of healthcare staffing is undoubtedly more efficient and effective.

Thriving Outside Your Comfort Zone: A Guide to Growing as a Pharmacist through Challenging Experiences

Posted on | by Locumate

As a locum pharmacist, it’s common to find yourself in unfamiliar territory, whether you’re working in a new environment, with unfamiliar colleagues, or dealing with new patients. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be a challenging but rewarding experience that can help you grow both personally and professionally. In this article, we’ll explore how you can embrace challenging experiences and get the most out of them as a locum pharmacist.

Growing as a Pharmacist -Embrace the Challenge

The first step to getting the most out of a challenging experience is to embrace it. Rather than seeing it as a negative, try to see it as an opportunity for growth. Facing obstacles may not always be pleasant, but they can guide you in where to go next. Obstacles shift our perspective by equipping us to handle what is thrown our way.

Instead of viewing setbacks as roadblocks, choose to see them as opportunities for self-improvement. Leaning on your mentors during difficult times can also be beneficial in providing advice or a different outlook on the situation (see our article on mentorship for more information on the importance of mentors and finding a mentor).

Be Prepared

Before stepping into a challenging situation, it’s important to be prepared. This means researching and learning as much as possible about the new environment or situation you’ll be working in. You can ask other pharmacists who have worked in that particular pharmacy or area before, research the area or pharmacy branch online, or reach out to the person who hired you for more information.

Utilising the chat functionality in the Locumate app can be particularly useful in ensuring effective communication between you and the pharmacy. It will allow for an exchange of information to ensure that you are well-prepared before you start your shift. Visit the AppStore or Google Playstore to download Locumate.

Growing as a Pharmacist – You have to keep an open mind

When you step out of your comfort zone, it’s important to keep an open mind. You may encounter new ways of working or different perspectives from your new colleagues. Try to be open to these new experiences and ideas, and learn as much as you can from them. This can help you develop new skills and perspectives that you can bring back to your work as a pharmacist, professionally and personally.

Learn from Your Mistakes

Stepping out of your comfort zone can be a challenging experience, and you may make mistakes along the way. However, it’s important to learn from these mistakes and use them as opportunities for growth. Take the time to reflect on what went wrong and what you could do differently in the future. Reflecting with a mentor can also be beneficial. This can help you avoid making the same mistakes in the future and become a better pharmacist overall.

Take Care of Yourself

Finally, taking care of yourself is important when stepping out of your comfort zone. Challenging experiences can be mentally and emotionally taxing, so it’s important to practise self-care. This can mean taking breaks when you need them, getting enough sleep, eating well, and doing activities that help you relax and recharge. If you require additional support, the Pharmacists’ Support Service is available all year round (every day from 8 am to 11 pm AEDT). The service provides a listening ear over the telephone to pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and students.

Professional pharmacist explaining prescription A Guide to Growing as a Pharmacist through Challenging Experiences

Embracing challenging experiences can be a rewarding experience for locum pharmacists. By embracing the challenge, being prepared, keeping an open mind, learning from your mistakes, and taking care of yourself, you can get the most out of these experiences and grow both personally and professionally. So, the next time you find yourself in a challenging situation, take a deep breath and see it as an opportunity for growth.

6 Key Factors to Consider Before Starting Your Locum Pharmacy Adventure!

Posted on | by Locumate

Elevate Your Pharmacy Career with Locum Pharmacy Work

Are you ready to take your pharmacy career to the next level? Locum pharmacy work may be just the thing for you! But before you dive in, there are some important things you need to consider.

1.  Pay and Benefits 

Here are six essential factors to keep in mind. Starting with pay and benefits: Do your research and compare rates and benefits for different locum positions. Locumate makes it easy to compare remuneration and benefits, so you can understand your earning potential and what benefits (such as travel and accommodation) are on offer. Plus, don’t forget to apply for an ABN (Australian Business Number) – it’s free and is required for most contracting and locum work.

2. Gain Valuable Experience

Gain Experience: Start by working with an experienced dispensary team, preferably with other pharmacists on duty, who can provide guidance and advice. Ask questions and learn from their expertise.

3.  Availability 

Availability: Be aware of your availability and consider whether you’re willing to work outside of normal business hours, including weekends, holidays and evenings. Some pharmacies may require you to work outside of the usual “9 to 5”, so make sure you’re able to commit to the work schedule.

4. Considering Location for Your Locum Pharmacy Career

Location: Think about the locations you’re willing to work in, including rural or remote areas. These positions are often in higher demand and offer higher rates.  Pharmacy owners may also decide to organise and cover accommodation and travel costs as part of the benefits they offer. 

5. Familiarising Yourself with Different Practice Settings in Locum Pharmacy

Practice Setting: Familiarise yourself with different pharmacy settings and services offered, including Opioid Replacement Therapy, Dose Administration Aid Services and nursing home management. Different pharmacies may also use a variety of dispensing softwares including Fred, Z Software and many more (Brush up on each and put yourself ahead by using our ‘Dispense Software Cheat Sheet’). Try out different environments early in your career to discover what you enjoy and where you excel.

6. The Role of Professional Development in Locum Pharmacy Work

Professional Development: Keep learning and growing as a pharmacist. Locum work can provide exposure to a variety of practice settings, but professional development may be more challenging to achieve as an individual. It’s important to continue learning and growing as a pharmacist. PSA have a variety of online CPD courses that will help to expand your skill set, keep up to date with AHPRA CPD requirements and become a more diverse locum. 

two female pharmacists wearing white coats back to back, highlighting the benifits of pay next day locumate feature. Locum Pharmacy work

Advancing Your Career with Locum Pharmacy Work

Make the most of your early career and take the leap into locum pharmacy work. Know your worth and don’t stop growing as a pharmacist. Considering these six factors, you’ll be set up for success and ready to run!

Unlock Your Success as a Pharmacy Locum: Master the Art of Communication!

Posted on | by Locumate

Effective Communication: An Essential Skill for Pharmacy Locums

As a pharmacy locum, clear and effective communication is essential to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of patients. Building relationships with patients and working with diverse teams requires strong communication skills. So, how can you sharpen your communication skills and excel in your role?

The Role of Active Listening for Pharmacy Locums

Actively listen: When working with patients and colleagues, show that you are fully engaged in the conversation. Hold appropriate eye contact and avoid distractions such as mobile phones. Use open-ended questions when speaking with patients to gain a better understanding of their needs and actively listen to their responses.

Practising Empathy as a Pharmacy Locum

Practice empathy: To better understand the perspective of the person you are communicating with, put yourself in their shoes. Focus on enhancing your EQ to build stronger relationships with patients and colleagues.

Conveying Clear and Confident Messages as a Pharmacy Locum

Speak clearly and confidently: It is important to convey clear and concise messages to patients and healthcare professionals. Use confident body language and tone of voice to reinforce your message and build trust and rapport.

Adapting Communication Styles in Pharmacy Locum Work

Be adaptable: Communication styles vary from person to person. Be aware of the communication style and health literacy level of the person you are speaking with and adapt your own style accordingly. Adjust your language and tone to suit the workplace.

The Importance of Visual Aids for Pharmacy Locums

Use visual aids: Visual aids such as diagrams and graphs can be helpful in explaining complex information to patients, especially those with low health literacy. Using a table with images of medications and how to take them can go a long way in ensuring patient safety and building rapport.

Asking Questions: A Key Communication Skill for Pharmacy Locums

Ask questions: If you are unsure about something, don’t hesitate to ask questions. This demonstrates engagement and interest, and ensures you have all the information you need to provide the best care possible.

Portrait of confident female pharmacist in pharmacy locum work

Excelling in Your Pharmacy Locum Career Through Effective Communication

As a pharmacy locum, communication is a critical part of your role. By practising active listening, empathy, clear speaking, adaptability, using visual aids, and asking questions, you can improve your communication skills and succeed in your career.

Visit the AppStore or Google Playstore to download Locumate.

Refresh your dispensing skills with Fred

Posted on | by Surge Singh

Fred IT Group is Australia’s largest dedicated IT solution provider to the pharmacy industry with over 3,000 pharmacies using our dispensing solutions Fred Dispense Plus, Fred Dispense and Fred NXT Dispense. Fred offer a complete suite of solutions and services tailored for community pharmacy and enterprise pharmacy groups including POS and office management, hardware, server and network monitoring and maintenance, backup and recovery, and cyber protection.

 

Fred’s online help centres provide short tutorials and resources, shortcuts and tips, accessible anywhere, anytime, and on any device. If you are looking to extend your product knowledge of the Fred dispensing solutions or perhaps want to make your day to day duties more efficient – this is just for you!

Learn how to

  • Dispense paper and electronic prescriptions
  • Dispense a new script and defer a script
  • Update external Safety Net totals and link family members
  • Complete the End of Year process

 

Got a question about a Fred application? Find answers quickly and easily, online

 

Our Fred’s online help centres can provide answers to your questions about Fred solutions 24/7.

Visit fred.com.au/support