A study of the effectiveness of professional development groups

In 1995 Nursing Times published my study (Thomas, 1995) on the effectiveness of staff support groups within community nursing settings. This work has continued to develop over the past seven years and this article looks at the development of the model within acute mental health wards and discusses a recent evaluation of the groups by its members. It is encouraging to find that these groups continue to be found valuable by the participants. The rationale behind the name change from staff support groups to professional development groups reflects the concept of staff using the groups to reflect on their roles and take responsibility for their professional development rather than the concept of support groups, which may indicate passivity.