Unit-Based Staff Development for Clinical Nurses

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Preface

Background: Clinical nurses in many healthcare organizations have assumed some educator roles previously performed by nurses in staff development departments. Nurses have often accomplished this in addition to their direct patient care responsibilities. This book is an attempt to blend the worlds of both clinical practice and education (i.e., staff development and academia) with the goal of strengthening the clinical and professional competencies of nurses who provide patient care. Promoting the continuing competency and lifelong learning of nurses is the primary focus of this book.

Target Audience: This book is a resource for nurses who have assumed the role of unit-based educator in their clinical settings, nurses whose career goals include becoming an educator in nursing staff development, or those who want to further develop their professional nursing role. This book provides clinical nurses with practical information about the key components of staff development (orientation, in-service education, and continuing education). It also serves as a guide for nurses who want to strengthen and expand their competencies related to their professional nursing role and progress in clinical advancement programs within their work settings.

This text is also a useful resource for senior undergraduate nursing students who are learning about the professional nursing role in transition or leadership courses. Graduate nursing students may also benefit from this book as they develop their role as nurse educator, nurse administrator, and various clinical practice roles.

Finally, nurse administrators and educators of healthcare organizations can rely on this book to as a resource to orient their clinical nurses to the educator role and to strengthen their competencies related to professional development.

Overview: This book consists of four units. The first three units focus on the staff development role of the unit-based educator, while the fourth chapter addresses various professional development activities. Although each chapter in this book stands alone, all of the chapters are related to one another.

Unit 1, Assuming the Role of a Unit-Based Clinical Educator, provides readers with a foundation for understanding the unit-based educator role. Chapter 1 provides readers with an overview of changes that have occurred in many healthcare organizations that resulted in the shifting of select staff development responsibilities to clinical nurses who provide direct patient care. Chapter 2 describes the roles and responsibilities of educators in nursing staff development departments. Chapter 3 focuses on the clinical nurse's role as a unit-based educator and includes strategies that nurses can use to prepare themselves for this new role.

Unit 2, Orienting Nursing Staff to the Clinical Unit, focuses on the orientation component of nursing staff development. Chapter 4 describes the process involved in developing a competency-based orientation program on a clinical unit, while Chapter 5 focuses on developing a unit-based clinical preceptorship program.

Unit 3, Developing Unit-Based Educational Programs, focuses on the second component of staff development, in-service education. Chapter 6 provides readers with a practical approach to assessing learning needs and developing an educational plan for several clinical units. Chapter 7 includes information to help staff learn how to develop, implement, and evaluate a unit-based in-service education offering.

Unit 4, Helping Staff Develop as Professionals, addresses various dimensions of the professional nursing role and focuses on activities often encouraged in clinical advancement programs. Chapter 8 discusses the importance of being active in professional nursing organizations. Chapter 9 covers publishing in healthcare journals and presents a practical 10-step process. Chapter 10 provides helpful strategies for developing presentations at professional meetings as well as for creating posters. Chapter 11 offers strategies for recording your professional achievements using a portfolio. Chapter 12 helps readers prepare a resume and cover letter that can be used when applying for school or a promotion. Chapter 13 provides readers with practical ways for encouraging staff to become involved in clinical research projects on a unit-based level. Chapter 14 reviews the steps of the third component of staff development, continuing education, and discusses what is involved in planning and implementing programs both within and outside the workplace. Last, Chapter 15 concludes the book by helping readers develop a professional career plan focused on the future.