Our amazing LBHS NMPDU team is innovating the way we staff our hospital from a 'virtual ward' designed as a central staffing lifelong learning pathway.
Recently published in the Office of the Chief Nurse Officer Inaugural version of Aspire: Nursing and Midwifery service models, exemplars achieving ambitions, this innovative development program for the casual and demand nursing workforce at Logan Hospital recognises varying levels of knowledge and skills to appropriately distribute nurses we need.
Project members who included Cornelia Andrasescu, Baljinder Saroch, Marina Wallis, Jennifer Kaka said the lifelong learning pathway (LLP) was developed to gain a clear understanding of individual staff knowledge and skill level that could provide educators and managers with the ability to appropriately allocate nurses across the organisation based on identified skill level, knowledge and abilities.
They said the LLP also defined an education pathway, awareness of organisational
expectations, and individual professional development opportunities that would enable staff to work to full scope and ensure a balanced distribution of skill levels across units.
"We hope this will also foster a culture of support and safety, build organisational capacity and skills and knowledge development, prevent staff burnout and improve staff engagement, recruitment and retention.
"We have already seen benefits for patients with improved patient safety and patient-centred care, health outcomes, care continuity and patient satisfaction."
Now known as the Nursing and Midwifery Resource Unit (NMRU), the permanent and casual cohort encompasses around 300 staff.