Learning Objective #1: Analyze the importance of partnership in establishment of a multidisciplinary professional development program

Learning Objective #2: Identify the steps and components of the Organizational Effectiveness Cycle used in the development of a professional development program

---

Professional development programs are making a resurgence with the movement of more hospitals to seek Magnet status and as a major strategy for recruitment and retention. A successful program needs the involvement and participation of staff during the development stages. Our organization chose to utilize members from unit based partnership councils to participate in the development. The Partnership Council is the structure used in our organization to create a place to develop and enhance relationships and have meaningful conversations in order to draw on the wisdom necessary to acheive the shared mission and vision. Patricia Benner's model of novice to expert was chosen as the theoretical framework on which to develop the program and Stephen Covey's Organizational Effectiveness (OE) Cycle was utilized as the design tool to develop the program.

The design process began with identifying the stakeholder needs, writing a mission and vision statement for the program and identifying strategies to achieve the mission and vision and to make the program successful. Key stakeholders for the program included staff at all levels, supervisors, managers, and administration. Once key stakeholder needs, mission, vision, and strategies were identified work began on the specifics of the program. Specific steps in keeping with the OE Cycle included identifying core processes and structure, information needs, and decision-making points and rewards.

In keeping with the partnership philosophy and concepts the committee members were responsible to take the work of the group back at key points to the unit based partnership councils to share information and to obtain feedback from staff.

The Professional Development Program will be presented to the Central Partnership Council and the Executive Partnership Council for action in the summer of 2005 with implementation scheduled for fall of 2005.