Quick hit – what value do you place on experience?

It’s been a bad week for me in terms of hospital systems giving me problems. We’ve had issues with our electronic document management system, our Pyxis system and the nursing interface with pharmacy; lots of late nights and early mornings. Who knows, maybe it has something to do with the full moon coming up tomorrow.

Anyway, during a particularly sticky time with Pyxis I was fortunate enough to get in contact with someone who had experienced the problem before. Instead of causing me numerous hours of troubleshooting, I was on my way home only two hours later than normal.

This brings up and interesting question, what value do you place on experienced staff? I’m of the opinion that experienced people are extremely valuable to any organization. I look at all the bright faces of the new pharmacists we hire and can’t believe I was ever that green. They’re intelligent and hardworking, but lack certain skills that can only be developed by working as a pharmacist over several years.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to offer pharmacists sabbaticals similar to those offered to professors at many universities. You know, find facilities across the country that are doing something better than you and trade pharmacists for a period of perhaps three months.

There is always a better way to do things and the only way to pick up this information is to experience it for your self. I, for one, get bored easily and like to experience new things. There are several facilities that I would like to spend some time at learning new ways to use our technology. Who knows, I may have something to offer them in exchange. It’s just a thought.