Transition to Specialty Nursing

Recruitment and retention of an experienced critical care workforce has been identified as a significant issue across Australia in general and particularly in rural areas (NSW Rural Health Report, 2002). Within this context The National Review of Nursing and Nursing Education 2002 - Our Duty of Care (recommendation 14, p22) identifies a need for consistency and quality in the development and delivery of transition programs. This part of the recommendation and the establishment of transitional support for nurses have been supported by all Australian Health Ministers.

Registered nurses in emergency departments or intensive care units require specialised knowledge and skills to safely and effectively care for their patients. Individual intensive care and emergency department services have developed orientation or transition programs to provide a structure for the development of nursing practice to meet the standard of safe and effective care. These programs are directed at the transitional needs of:

• New employees with little or no ED or ICU experience
• New employees with ED or ICU experience but without formal qualifications
• Experienced nurses wishing to make a transition to ED or ICU nursing
• Nurses returning to ED or ICU
• Individual nurse professional development

In response to this area of need, Professor Mary Chiarella (former Chief Nursing Officer, NSW Department of Health) organised a broadly representative group to workshop this matter. As a result, a Steering Committee and Working Party were established to undertake a project on Transition to ICU Nursing. Some time later, a similar project was established to explore these opportunities for nurses wishing to transition to Emergency Departments (Transition to ED Project).

These two Working Parties have been progressing this work over 2006-2007 with Martin Boyle (POWH) chairing the ICU Group and Phil Way (HNEAHS) chairing the ED Group.

Members of the Transition to ICU Nursing Project Working Party discussed the results of their work with the Steering Committee in October 2007, following consideration of feedback from an Area Directors of Nursing and Midwifery (NSW) review of the Transition to ICU Report. Representatives of this group presented the final report and recommendations at a meeting with the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer on 19 February 2008.

The Transition to ED Nursing Working Party prepared an outline for a Transition to ED Curriculum and finalised their report in June 2007. The report was reviewed by the NSW Area Directors of Nursing and Midwifery in October/November 2007 and representatives from this Working Party met with the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer on 28 February 2008 to discuss their recommendations. Further information about decisions made to progress this work will be available on the this website in the near future.

Members of the Transition to ICU Nursing Project Working Party and the Transition to ED Nursing Working Party discussed the final results of their work and recommendations with the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer at a meeting in February 2008. At this meeting agreement to progress this initative was reached. A position description and expression of interest have been developed to offer a secondment opportunity to a suitably experienced nurse to finalise and manage the State-wide take-up of this initiative. The expression of interest and position description can be found on the Department of Health's HealthJobs web page and have been circulated widely. Applications closed 1 August 2008.

Transition to ICU - Final Report Cover Note

Transition to Intensive Care Nursing Report - Steering Group Report - January 2008