The Nursing Fellowship: innovation in staff development

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Staff Development
• Clinical Nurse Specialization

Background:

• Hospitals face a shortage of specialty-prepared registered nurses (RNs).
• Existing staff development programs may not meet current nursing needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a nursing fellowship program designed to address the need for specialty-prepared RNs.
• To evaluate the program's effectiveness in increasing nursing knowledge and potentially aiding recruitment and retention.

Main Methods:

• The fellowship program integrates didactic and clinical components.
• Programs are developed and led by certified, Master's-prepared clinical nurse specialists.
• Fellowships cover various specialties including Oncology, Critical Care, and Gerontology.

Main Results:

• The fellowships appear successful in increasing nurses' knowledge within specialty areas.
• Subjective and objective measures indicate program effectiveness.
• Early evaluations suggest a positive impact on staff recruitment and retention.

Conclusions:

• The Nursing Fellowship program is a valuable staff development initiative.
• It effectively prepares RNs for specialty certification examinations.
• The program shows promise as a tool for addressing nursing shortages and improving staff retention.