'Stepping Up' - Career Development for Nurses and Midwives
Tracks
Track 4
| Friday, July 25, 2025 |
| 12:00 PM - 12:20 PM |
| Ballroom |
Overview
Presenter: Karen O'Brien MACN
Speaker
Ms Karen O'Brien MACN
Director Of Nursing, Professional Practice
Canberra Health Services
'Stepping Up' - Career Development for Nurses and Midwives
12:00 PM - 12:20 PMAbstract
Introduction
Canberra Health Service is implementing a "Stepping Up' program of development aimed at preparing early-mid career nurses and midwives with professional practice education and leadership development, supporting positive workplace cultures at the frontline and setting consistent, high-performance standards of care. This program also promotes innovations in care by developing them to lead innovative quality improvement, reducing risk of harm and improving the patient journey.
Main Body
Organisational data and feedback from a Senior Nurse and Midwife Community of Practice identified areas of poor performance in quality and safety audits, inconsistent practice standards in the level 2 cohort and a lack of understanding about the difference between a level 1 (base grade) and level 2 - advanced grade clinical nurse or midwife. In addition, workforce data indicates increasing trends of nurses and midwives leaving in post graduate years 3-5. Culture surveys and exit interviews indicate poor team culture and lack of career pathways contribute to reasons why people resign.
A systematic review (Guibert-Lacasa and Vazquez Catalad, 2022) of nursing and midwifery practice and leadership development programs concluded that targeted programs in this cohort can significantly improve standards of care, clinical problem solving, interprofessional team cohesion, morale and staff satisfaction. Validated assessment tools, retention data and feedback from clinical managers, mentors and participants will be utilised to measure outcomes pre and post this program.
Conclusion
The 6 month program will be provided in partnership with local area managers and mentors working with participants supporting application of learning into practice. Participants will produce evidence for a future advancement application and practice interview techniques. The program is offered to 120 nurses and midwives in 2025 with 2 groups of 30 completing in the first half of the year. Results from the first 2 groups will be available for presentation in July.
Canberra Health Service is implementing a "Stepping Up' program of development aimed at preparing early-mid career nurses and midwives with professional practice education and leadership development, supporting positive workplace cultures at the frontline and setting consistent, high-performance standards of care. This program also promotes innovations in care by developing them to lead innovative quality improvement, reducing risk of harm and improving the patient journey.
Main Body
Organisational data and feedback from a Senior Nurse and Midwife Community of Practice identified areas of poor performance in quality and safety audits, inconsistent practice standards in the level 2 cohort and a lack of understanding about the difference between a level 1 (base grade) and level 2 - advanced grade clinical nurse or midwife. In addition, workforce data indicates increasing trends of nurses and midwives leaving in post graduate years 3-5. Culture surveys and exit interviews indicate poor team culture and lack of career pathways contribute to reasons why people resign.
A systematic review (Guibert-Lacasa and Vazquez Catalad, 2022) of nursing and midwifery practice and leadership development programs concluded that targeted programs in this cohort can significantly improve standards of care, clinical problem solving, interprofessional team cohesion, morale and staff satisfaction. Validated assessment tools, retention data and feedback from clinical managers, mentors and participants will be utilised to measure outcomes pre and post this program.
Conclusion
The 6 month program will be provided in partnership with local area managers and mentors working with participants supporting application of learning into practice. Participants will produce evidence for a future advancement application and practice interview techniques. The program is offered to 120 nurses and midwives in 2025 with 2 groups of 30 completing in the first half of the year. Results from the first 2 groups will be available for presentation in July.
Biography
With 30 years’ experience in private and public health services, including 20 years in ICU and 10 years in senior leadership positions, Karen leads health initiatives creating career pathways and practice development for nurses and midwives, so they perform at their best providing care for the community.
