Ward management: education for senior staff nurses

The key professional challenges for senior staff nurses relate to managerial rather than clinical issues, but there appears to be a lack of educational preparation for the managerial roles expected of them. An educational service was developed, implemented and evaluated in a specialist paediatric unit to address senior staff nurses' concerns related to managerial aspects of their role. An organisational development model was used to negotiate a work-based learning programme that incorporated practice competencies. This was undertaken at an Agenda for Change implementation site, which enabled the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) to be trialled in practice. The educational programme was evaluated positively and practice competency evaluations highlighted how the KSF dimensions provided a usable and relevant breakdown of managerial and leadership issues. The framework provided a professional development tool for staff wishing to progress their managerial knowledge and skills while under supervision.