The Nurse Practitioner Candidate Professional Development Program

1
The Nurse Practitioner Candidate Professional
Development Program

• A Joint Partnership of Southern Synergy

2
Background

• Experience of solo candidates
• Smaller pool of staff in rural/regional areas
• Fewer opportunities to advance career
• Interest from potential NPCs
• Funding requirement to provide a professional
  development and support program
• Partnerships within the training cluster
  (Synergy)

3
Aims

• To improve career opportunities for skilled
  nursing staff
• To develop and support a critical mass of NPCs
• To identify nurses with suitable competencies and
  attributes, within the cluster organisations, to
  become NPCs and undertake a PD program
• To further develop the NP role, within the
  cluster organisations, to enable the long term
  sustainability of advanced roles within services

4
Process

• Discussion within the cluster
• Development of a submission for further funding
• Support from 4 cluster services
• Task Group established to identify resources and
  develop the program
• Content identified

5
Program

• Educational content
• advanced assessment, physical health,
  medico-legal, prescribing
• Case studies
• Peer supervision and support
• An adjunct to university study
• Internal study day program only (no advanced
  standing)
• Access to mentors and opportunity to engage in
  consultations etc.
• difficult to get mentors and clinical supervision
  in rural areas

6
Participants First day of the program
7
Participants

• NPCs and those working towards an NPC position
• Employer supported
• participants must have Manager and SPN approval
• a way for employers to support candidates in
  their NP goals
• Range of backgrounds
• ED, CL, Child and Youth, Dual Diagnosis,
  Community, Inpatient Adult, Aged
• Must be motivated, prepared, actively participate
  

8
Resources and Support

• NPC Resource Folder
• program outline
• prof. development
• leadership plan
• learning plan
• professional portfolio
• log book
• NPS and RADAR
• CPGs
• useful reports
• ANMC Competencies

• Texts
• AMH 2010
• TG Psychotropic Version 6
• Clinical Primer in Psychiatry (Castle Bassett
  2010)

Web resources

• H Prime
• on-line web link, resource sharing and
  discussion board

9
Evaluation

• Pre and post evaluation
• Participant
• Service level

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Summary

• Opportunity to harness motivated and skilled
  nurses
• An adjunct to Masters, the NP Collaborative
• A way for services to support their candidates
  locally
• Support rural services
• A requirement for the funding of candidates in
  this round
• Develop a critical mass
• More endorsed MHNPs