Mid North Coast - Professional Development of Nursing Staff
This project provided the opportunity for two senior Registered Nurses within the Paediatric Unit of the Coffs Harbour Health Campus to be seconded to John Hunter Hospital in a supernumerary capacity, each for a two week period, for upgrade in their clinical skills in a tertiary Paediatric environment. The staff members then returned to conduct education sessions for their colleagues within the Paediatric Unit so that overall nursing care within the Unit was influenced positively by the secondment.
The project also aimed to:
- Develop a networking relationship for nursing staff between the John Hunter Hospital and the Coffs Harbour Health Campus
- Retain nursing staff in a regional hospital by assisting in their professional development
- Improve the standard of nursing care within the Paediatric Unit of the Coffs Harbour Health Campus by developing the skills of the nursing staff
- Initiate education sessions on current Paediatric Nursing topics for the staff of the Paediatric Unit at Coffs Harbour
- To develop a mentoring program for nursing staff within the Paediatric Unit that utilises the senior staff who have been seconded to John Hunter Hospital.
The success of the project was measured by:
- Improved retention of specialist nursing staff in a regional referral hospital
- The establishment of networking and clinical support between nursing staff from the John Hunter Hospital and the Coffs Harbour Health Campus
- Congruence of nursing practice between the outlying hospital and the tertiary referral centre
- The increase in the skills of the nursing staff on the Paediatric Unit of the Coffs Harbour Health Service
- The increased opportunity for professional development for senior nursing staff
- The ability to implement mentoring of junior staff within the Paediatric Unit