Organizational models and staff preparation: a survey of staff development departments

A national survey of staff development (SD) departments of hospitals was conducted to determine the organizational models (centralized, decentralized, or combination) used. The survey asked about departmental organization, instructor role, staff title, core responsibilities, percentage of work for various departments, SD department head and staff educational preparation, and demographic data. This article discusses the data obtained from the 48 responses (41%) that pertain to the organizational model (26 or 54% used combination model) and staff preparation (master's degree was most prevalent). The data and survey approach could be used by a SD department when choosing an organizational model.