The people, the programme & the place: nurses' perceptions of the Lakeland Health Professional Development Programme

Abstract

Clinical Career Pathways were introduced to nursing in North America in the 1970s at a time of nursing shortage. Prior to their inception, nurses wishing to develop their careers had to move to administration, management or education. The Programmes recognised and rewarded expertise in practice. Since the 1980s, Clinical Career Pathways have been introduced to nursing in much of the western world. In New Zealand, the Programmes were introduced as a mechanism to openly recognise the clinical expertise of nurses. Different Clinical Career Pathways arose across the country; at Lakeland Health, the 'Professional Development Programme' was developed. This thesis concerns that Programme. A qualitative, descriptive approach (using Focus Groups) was used with Registered Nurses to gather their perceptions of what helps nurses enrol in the Professional Development Programme. The ideas and insights of nine Registered Nurses were clustered around three main categories: The People (fear; being stuck; motivation; feedback; peer support; ways of learning); the Programme (relevance; flexibility; Bachelor's Degrees; implementation; supporting information; fairness); the Place (time; regular and accessible; support from nurse leaders; management). These perceptions are discussed in more detail in the context of nursing at Lakeland Health and of Clinical Career Pathways in New Zealand. The findings are helpful for the evaluation and future development of the Professional Development at Lakeland Health. The research contributes to our understanding of what helps nurses enrol in a Clinical Career Pathway, and emphasises the importance of the People, the Programme and the Place.