Funding is only the start of fixing CPD.

Sam Foster, Chief Nurse, Oxford University Hospitals, considers the Government's promise of funding for continuing professional development, and calls for transparecy and further guidance.

Adapting a health equity tool to meet professional needs (Québec, Canada).

While numerous tools are available to better incorporate equity into population health actions, they are limited mainly by their lack of adaptation to professional practices and organizational realities. A study was conducted in Québec to identify and understand, from the perspective of future users, conditions that would facilitate use of a tool (Reflex-ISS) targeted at supporting collaborative action to improve consideration of social inequalities in health (SIH) within population health actions. Concept mapping and focus groups were implemented as complementary methods for investigating the conditions. Significant results that emerged were strong participant interest in the tool and the need for resources to better take SIH into account. The conditions for use that were identified referred to the tool itself (user-friendliness and literacy) and to resources for appropriating the tool, competency development, as well as the role and responsibilities of organizations and policies in promoting use of the tool in daily activities and more fundamentally in acting against SIH in general. Models for organizational innovation give an idea of the dimensions that need to be considered to strengthen the integration of equity into organizations and to support the changes in practice that result from using the tool. They provide a reminder that a health equity tool cannot be the cornerstone of an organizational strategy to fight against SIH; rather, it must be incorporated as part of a systemic strategy of professional and organizational development.

How to do a Virtual Breakthrough Series Collaborative.

Despite widespread use of the breakthrough series (BTS) collaborative in healthcare, there is limited literature on how to operationalize the method in healthcare settings. A recent modification to the model is the virtual breakthrough series (VBTS), in which all work is done remotely via telephone and web-based platforms. With virtual methods gaining popularity, this manuscript presents guidance on methods to conduct a virtual breakthrough series collaborative to assist clinical teams in implementing evidence-based practices. Manuscript describes planning activities and implementation steps for individuals interested in conducting a VBTS collaborative. Topics presented include planning/preparation activities (e.g., developing a planning committee and change package of the evidence-based interventions), estimated resources required (i.e., personnel, percent effort), activities to prepare participants for the project (e.g., orientation calls), specific actions during the virtual collaborative, and evaluation approaches. The manuscript also presents examples from our work and templates for end users. This paper is a first attempt to describe the infrastructure and processes of a VBTS collaborative and offer reproducible methods currently employed in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration.

From staff nurse to nurse consultant: Continuing professional development part 9: support and finance.

John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores CPD for clinically based nurses.

Improving patient experiences of mental health inpatient care: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Poorer patient views of mental health inpatient treatment predict both further admissions and, for those admitted involuntarily, longer admissions. As advocated in the UK Francis report, we investigated the hypothesis that improving staff training improves patients' views of ward care. METHOD: Cluster randomised trial with stepped wedge design in 16 acute mental health wards randomised (using the ralloc procedure in Stata) by an independent statistician in three waves to staff training. A psychologist trained ward staff on evidence-based group interventions and then supported their introduction to each ward. The main outcome was blind self-report of perceptions of care (VOICE) before or up to 2 years after staff training between November 2008 and January 2013. RESULTS: In total, 1108 inpatients took part (616 admitted involuntarily under the English Mental Health Act). On average 51.6 staff training sessions were provided per ward. Involuntary patient's perceptions of, and satisfaction with, mental health wards improved after staff training (N582, standardised effect -0·35, 95% CI -0·57 to -0·12, p = 0·002; interaction p value 0·006) but no benefit to those admitted voluntarily (N469, -0.01, 95% CI -0.23 to 0.22, p = 0.955) and no strong evidence of an overall effect (N1058, standardised effect -0.18 s.d., 95% CI -0.38 to 0.01, p = 0.062). The training costs around £10 per patient per week. Resource allocation changed towards patient perceived meaningful contacts by an average of £12 (95% CI -£76 to £98, p = 0.774). CONCLUSION: Staff training improved the perceptions of the therapeutic environment in those least likely to want an inpatient admission, those formally detained. This change might enhance future engagement with all mental health services and prevent the more costly admissions.

Using Motivational Interviewing to Impact Readiness of RNs to Return to the Classroom.

Supporting nurses with associate degrees in nursing (ADNs) to return to school is challenging for nurse executives. Strategies include tuition reimbursement, scholarships, and flexible scheduling. Despite these measures, it is anticipated that we will fall short of a goal of 80% bachelor's degree-prepared nurses by 2020. The aim of this project was to increase ADN-prepared RN readiness to return to school through motivational interviewing.

Collaborating to Enhance Faculty Development through Structured Funding.

PROBLEM: Faculty development is critical to individual career growth and success in academic medicine and it enhances the overall academic climate of an institution. Despite these well-recognized benefits, time and financial constraints often limit participation of faculty members. To address this issue, the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine (SSOM) developed a novel policy and process to support participation in faculty development programs. APPROACH: In 2014, the SSOM Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) implemented a process for funding faculty members' participation in external career and educational development programs. A subcommittee of the Faculty Development Committee reviewed and selected applications based on the benefit to the applicant's career and the SSOM as whole. Selected applicants were required to disseminate new knowledge from the external programs to other SSOM faculty, staff, and trainees. OUTCOMES: With the implementation of this program, 17 faculty members received funding. The race/ethnicities of the selected applicants reflected the overall demographics of the larger SSOM community. The majority of the selected applicants were female (n=12, 70 percent), assistant professors (n=9, 53 percent), and members of clinical departments (n=12, 70 percent). Upon completion of the program, five participants achieved academic promotion. This novel funding mechanism greatly increased faculty participation in external programs and participants reported enhanced networking opportunities, leadership experience, and career opportunities. NEXT STEPS: Challenges observed with implementation of the program have led to revision of the application process, tracking of participant demographic data, and confirmation of knowledge dissemination.

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Program. Final rule.

This final rule makes regulatory changes to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) based on the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014. These changes strengthen requirements to protect the health and safety of children in child care; help parents make informed consumer choices and access information to support child development; provide equal access to stable, high-quality child care for low-income children; and enhance the quality of child care and the early childhood workforce.

Identifying and Applying for Professional Development Funding.

Participation in ongoing professional development can be critical for maintaining up-to-date knowledge in your field, as well as preparing for promotions and job changes. Career development activities may include formal classroom education, web-based courses, on-the-job training, workshops and seminars, professional conferences, and self-study programs. Developing a career development plan, cultivating a team to support your goals, and actively pursuing continuing education and skill-building opportunities are important across all career stages. However, the financial cost of these opportunities can often place them beyond reach. In this commentary, we summarize several potential sources for career development funding as well as best practices for completing the application process.

A Balanced Scorecard With Strategy Map: Measuring the Value of a Nursing Sabbatical.

Seasoned nurses frequently resign from their positions due to burnout. An innovative idea that could support nurse retention is nurse sabbaticals. Balanced scorecards with strategy maps can display financial benefit, positive customer experience, and operational and human capital development required to initiate and sustain a professional nurse sabbatical. A balanced scorecard with strategy map is an effective tool that demonstrates connection between the organizational mission and the outcomes of a nurse sabbatical program.

Total cost of ownership: the role of clinical engineering.

Hospitals often incur substantial hidden costs associated with service agreements that they enter into with original equipment manufacturers at the time of equipment purchase. Hospitals should perform an analysis of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of their organizations' medical equipment to identify opportunities for performance improvement and savings. The findings of the TCO analysis can point to areas where clinical engineering service management can be improved through investments in technology, training, and teamwork.

Outcome evaluation of the National Cancer Institute career development awards program.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) career development (K) awards program supports investigators to develop their cancer research programs and achieve independence. The NCI Center for Cancer Training conducted a K program evaluation by analyzing outcomes of awardees and individuals who applied to the program but were not funded. The evaluation covered seven NCI mechanisms (K01, K07, K08, K11, K22, K23, and K25) between 1980 and 2008. Descriptive statistics and regression modeling were performed on the full cohort (n = 2,893 individuals, 4,081 K applications) and a comparison cohort described herein. K awardees proportionately received more subsequent NIH grants and authored more publications, and time to first R01 grant was unaffected. Of those not pursuing research, K awardees were more likely to participate in activities signaling continued scientific engagement. The NCI K program had a positive impact, not only on participants' biomedical research careers but also on achieving outcomes significant to the scientific enterprise.

Introduction to economic assessment.

This is the first in a series of four continuing professional development articles that explain some of the principles of economic assessment and describe the most commonly cited approaches. The series aims to enable readers to critically examine economic assessments in the context of nurse-led service innovation. It introduces a tried-and-tested methodology, with associated tools and templates, used to conduct economic assessments in nursing. In this article, the principles of economic assessment are introduced and two case studies of nurse-led innovation are used to illustrate how they are applied in practice.

An investment in nursing. Boards have a responsibility to patients and the community to develop the nursing workforce.

An investment in nurse development is an investment in the community.

Nursing sabbatical in the acute care hospital setting: a cost-benefit analysis.

Practice-based acute care nurses experience a high incidence of burnout and dissatisfaction impacting retention and innovation and ultimately burdening the financial infrastructure of a hospital. Business, industry, and academia have successfully implemented professional sabbaticals to retain and revitalize valuable employees; however, the use is infrequent among acute care hospitals. This article expands upon the synthesis of evidence supporting nursing sabbaticals and suggests this option as a fiscally sound approach for nurses practicing in the acute care hospital setting. A cost-benefit analysis and human capital management strategies supporting nursing sabbaticals are identified.

Start-up of a simulation center in an acute care hospital.

High-fidelity simulation facilitates the professional development and interprofessional collaboration of health care providers across multiple disciplines and specialties, thus reducing medical errors, improving patient safety, and changing the way that health care professionals feel about and manage the low-occurrence, high-risk scenarios that inevitably occur in the clinical setting. Less complex forms of simulation have long been used to teach clinical competencies and critical thinking, standardize care, and improve interdisciplinary communication. Because high-fidelity simulation can provide an edge in continuing health care education, innovative organizations increasingly use high-fidelity simulation. Often, simulation centers are built from the ground up by health care personnel who have minimal experience with high-fidelity simulation or other forms of advanced technology. This article describes the start-up of a simulation center for interprofessional continuing education in the acute care setting.

When funds for professional development are scarce.

This column describes an approach to sustaining interprofessional education for perioperative staff when budgetary cuts in professional education significantly limit professional development.

Nurses' barriers to learning: an integrative review.

This integrative review of the literature describes nurses' barriers to learning. Five major themes emerged: time constraints, financial constraints, workplace culture, access/relevance, and competency in accessing electronic evidence-based practice literature. The nurse educator must address these barriers for the staff to achieve learning and competency.

Use of high-fidelity simulation for staff education/development: a systematic review of the literature.

Currently, high-fidelity simulations (HFS) are widely used in nursing education and are being introduced into acute care to assist with orientation programs, continuing education, certification courses, and staff development. In a review of the literature, many articles were found that describe HFS and its advantages and how to use the technology. But, there are few research studies to support the use. Upon completion of a review of the literature and an analysis of utility, the data do not clearly show that HFS is the best practice for the orientation and education of staff nurses. Overall, HFS is recognized as a safe way to learn, and most nurses like participating in HFSs. However, before the healthcare industry continues on this journey of widespread adoption of HFSs, more research needs to be done to show that the increased skills and knowledge of the nurse obtained through simulation does translate into safer patient care and better patient outcomes.

Exploring the world outside to increase cultural competence of the educator within.

As nursing educators strive to increase cultural competence among students, it is important to consider professional development in the process. There are resources available to faculty in the form of small grants, and conference attendance/presentation monies. The author shares experiences related to travel to the 6th National Nursing Congress "with International participation" to Cappadocia Turkey. Discussion will include practical aspects of securing monies for travel opportunities, and post journey reflections that have been integrated into improving teaching of cultural content.