Themes and Subthemes of Life Long Learning in Pharmacy Conference 2021
Learning and Self-Discovery are at the heart of the James Joyce’s literary masterpiece Ulysses, from which the Life Long Learning in Pharmacy 2021 conference draws its theme; The Journey of Learning. This relatively simply theme represents a much larger experience which we all undertake as we engage in education and adapt to the continuously evolving modern workplace.
Industries and professions are changing at rapid rates and this has reshaped the concept of what is required to remain ‘fighting fit’ in our careers. Individuals can no longer be static, relying that skill sets and experiences that have traditionally been needed for a particular job or career will remain applicable.
As we travel through our careers, Life Long Learning sharpens our understanding of how the world works, helps us realize our passions and boosts creativity. Life Long Learning also keeps us agile and resilient in adapting to changes in our roles and practice.
The Life Long Learning in Pharmacy conference facilitates participant access to high quality educational programs, internationally significant research and development, and world-renowned leaders in the field. The 2021 program considers advancing pharmacy practice through continuous professional development (CPD) and understanding lifelong learning as a journey.
Working together with the international Pharmacy community, seeking solutions to our shared challenges, our discussion at the Dublin conference will focus on the following subthemes:
This sub-theme considers the stages along the journey of life-long learning from the first practice experience through an evolving career. How do we map the learning journey of the pharmacy workforce to meet the demand of evolving roles? This session explores the stages of the life long learning journey from early to advanced career and considers the how frameworks, goals, standards, policies and career structures can support the evolving roles of pharmacists.
This subtheme could include posters, workshops and presentations on some of the following topics:
Experiential learning/Foundation & Advanced Programmes/Acquisition of Specialisation/Advanced practice /CPD/Frameworks/Accreditation/Credentialling (Note, the focus should ideally be kept on qualified pharmacists rather than undergraduate)
Plenary Speaker – Rose Marie Parr – National Chief Pharmacist, Scotland.
This sub-theme considers all the things that help us in our journey.
Our provisions are all those things that we bring with us, or acquire, on our learning journey, for example, the tools we use, the skills we need and the resources we require. From formal to informal learning, traditional to innovative methods, simulated to experiential approaches, this session will provide valuable insights into learning approaches, and will consider how they can change over the course of one’s career. It will also examine the skills, competencies and behaviors that we develop on our journey.
The Companions are those who accompany us on our learning journey, including educators, leaders, mentors, our peers and colleagues from other health care professions with whom we learn and practice. This sub-theme could also consider how we learn in partnership with patients, the ultimate recipients of our care.
This subtheme could include posters, workshops and presentations on some of the following topics:
Experiential Learning preceptors/ Coaching/ Mentorship / Practice educators / Interprofessional learning / Patient-led practice/ Learning styles/ Distance Learning/ CPD/Experiential Learning/IT/ Artificial Intelligence/ Skills / Resilience/ Communication / Existing and Emerging roles/Development of technical skills
Plenary Speaker: Mary Collins, Senior Executive Development Specialist at RCSI Institute of Leadership
This sub-theme considers the places to where our learning journey could bring us. From technical experts and inspirational leaders to innovators who must navigate ambiguity with resilience, the range of roles required by pharmacists in meeting the demands of the future are expanding. So too are the skills required for these roles. This session explores how we develop pharmacists to meet the evolving needs of future healthcare. It will also examine the future of learning and will consider emerging modes of learning and development.
This subtheme could include posters, workshops and presentations on some of the following topics:
Innovative teaching practice/ Existing and emerging roles/Development of skills for future practice/The future of pharmacy/The future of learning
Plenary Speaker: Zubin Austin, Professor and Koffler Chair in Management at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy