153 Jo Crook
Welcome back to another episode of the Pharmacist Diaries podcast! In this episode, we dive into the topic of work-life balance and managing stress as a consultant pharmacist. Our guest, Jo Crook, a consultant pharmacist in paediatrics at King's College Hospital NHS Trust, shares her inspiring journey in the pharmacy field while balancing her career and family life.
Jo Crook is a Consultant Pharmacist specialising in pediatrics, focusing on children with liver disease, including those who have had liver transplants, and medication adherence. She is actively involved with the Neonatal Paediatric Pharmacy Group (NPPG) organising committee and works on national projects to improve health outcomes related to medicines for children. Jo recently completed an NIHR pre-doctoral fellowship, enhancing her clinical academic skills and paving the way for a PhD aimed at supporting families with post-liver transplant medication adherence.
Jo shares her career path, from starting as a resident pharmacist at Guy's and St Thomas' to her current role as a consultant pharmacist specialising in liver disease and liver transplants at King's College Hospital NHS Trust. She highlights the importance of taking time on the journey and the benefits of working part-time, particularly as a working mum.
Jo discusses the challenges she faced in balancing her career and family life, emphasising the need to say no to certain opportunities and have a clear strategy in mind. She shares her experiences with burnout and the significance of prioritising self-care to prevent overwhelm. Jo emphasises the value of having a supportive network and finding allies in the workplace to navigate difficult times.
The conversation touches on the consultant pharmacist pathway, the importance of delegation, and the significance of setting clear objectives and boundaries. Jo shares insights into the flexibility and productivity that part-time work offers, allowing her to focus on tasks she is passionate about and utilise her spare time effectively.
Key Takeaway Messages:
Importance of Setting Boundaries: Jo highlighted the significance of learning to say no and having a clear strategy in mind when it comes to balancing work and personal life. Setting clear objectives and priorities can help ensure that both professional responsibilities and personal well-being are taken care of effectively.
Utilising Part-Time Work for Flexibility: Jo shared her experience of working part-time and how it provided her with the flexibility to not only deliver on her professional commitments but also pursue her passions and interests outside of work. Part-time work allowed her to focus on tasks that she was genuinely passionate about, enhancing her overall productivity and job satisfaction.
Support and Delegation: Jo emphasised the importance of delegating tasks and providing support to team members. By trusting her colleagues and offering guidance when needed, Jo created a supportive work environment where team members felt empowered to take on responsibilities and seek assistance when required. This approach not only fosters a collaborative work culture but also ensures that workloads are managed effectively.
Sign up to our FREE community called Behind The Mic! We are excited to engage with you and provide you with the support & guidance you need to get started.
Register here: https://behindthemic.circle.so/
SIGN UP to my NEWSLETTER below so you’ll be the first to know when new episodes are being released. You’ll also receive regular inspiration, tips, tools, and free content.
https://pharmacistdiaries.ck.page/newsletter
PARTNERSHIPS and DISCOUNTS:
The Naked Pharmacy is offering my podcast listeners a 20% discount on all their products. Use discount code PD20 at checkout to receive the offer.
https://www.thenakedpharmacy.com/
🎙️ Audiio: We used to spend (waste) ages looking for free royalty free music on the internet. If you’ve ever tried to find images, music or video that is unconditionally 100% free, you’ll know how difficult it is. We now use Audiio for all our music.
Use this link to get 70% off your first year of Audiio pro
🚀 Check out our Amazon storefront dedicated to podcasting gear! We will keep adding/reviewing the list but there’s a selection of microphones, audio interfaces, and more to help you elevate your podcasting game.
🛒 Explore Our Storefront Here
CONNECT WITH JO:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-crook-nee-hood-a1b13598/
Follow me on My Website, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or Twitter. Feel free to subscribe to the podcast on your favourite podcast platform so you can be notified when a new episode is released or leave a review on apple podcasts. If you have any suggestions for guests you want me to talk to or if you’d like to come on yourself, please feel free to contact me via social media, or email at info@pharmacistdiaries.com.
