A piece of my mind. Master class

A Master Class for nursing unit managers: an Australian example

AIM

To design and provide a Master Class leadership course for nursing unit managers.

BACKGROUND

The selection and development of nursing unit managers is important to the profession and to the units they manage given their critical role in staff retention. While many in these positions are well-qualified academically they may require ongoing professional development in a cycle of continuous learning that challenges and motivates them to maintain skill mastery.

EVALUATION

A review of the literature found examples of a Master Class conducted in the arts but none in leadership development. The elements of a Master Class have been distilled from the literature and applied to the development of a programme for 18 nursing unit managers employed at four hospitals in an area health service in New South Wales (Australia). A Delphi survey using participants determined the 20 most important topics from which to construct the programme.

CONCLUSIONS

The programme was positively evaluated by participants in aspects such as allowing the expression of opinions, networking, stretching their minds and time to reflect on their own experiences. Nursing unit managers occupy a pivotal role in health care institutions. Investing resources into the ongoing development of their leadership skills may provide significant benefits for the individuals themselves, their staff and the organization.

Professional profile of National Health Service physicians in Greece and their self-expressed training needs

INTRODUCTION

Continuing medical education is not yet mandatory in Greece, but an increasing number of training courses is becoming available. In recent years, 32 training centers have been accredited.

METHOD

A postal survey of a national sample of 500 National Health Service doctors, weighted towards hospitals with accredited training centers, was conducted. The response rate was 35%.

RESULTS

Respondents, who represented all disciplines and all levels of the hierarchy, were highly qualified, widely read, and active participants in scientific and research activities. Sixty percent had attended training courses in the preceding 5 years. Five choices of desired topics were made, and scores were weighted according to preference.

DISCUSSION

Handling emergency situations was most popular, followed by specialized therapies and public health topics. Current courses are considered to be too long and would be more attractive if held during working hours. The main difficulty for attendance was heavy workload. The researchers consider that the statutory base for continuing education should be developed in Greece, in line with other countries.