University of Virginia Health System

"We will be a model of creative teaching and learning" is a guiding vision for UVAHS, and education and lifelong learning are essential to professional nurses. The Health System introduces and establishes the commitment to these activities in New Employee Orientation, and the PNSO provides UVA nurses with support for their ongoing development.

Quick Links to Staff Development Resources:

• NetLearning
• PNSO Nursing Grand Rounds
• UVA School of Nursing

New Employee Orientation 

Health System employment begins for all new employees with a centralized, paid orientation program. For nurses, the centralized program consists of 3-eight hour days. Orientation for nurses is designed and managed by a partnership between HRCOD, the Office of Nursing Governance Programs, NECs and/or Orientation Coordinators and Preceptors. Program design, content, and speakers are overseen by the Office of Nursing Governance Programs and the Nursing Education Coordinators. The Lead Nursing Education Coordinator, Kathryn McGough, BSN, RN, Clinician III, is the primary instructor for Days 2 and 3 of the program. All partners participate in program evaluation and revision decisions.

From the centralized program, orientation is continued in the practice areas. NECs and Orientation Coordinators are responsible for the design of practice area programs. Although there is a common framework for practice area orientation, the design is individualized by each area.

Preceptors guide the orientation of new staff. The preceptor role is a valued one within the PNSO. Excellence in precepting is celebrated in an annual "Preceptor of the Year" award and also during PNSO annual Preceptor Week. Preceptor development is supported through regular offerings of a Preceptor Class within HRCOD. Preceptors receive support and guidance in their roles from area NEC and nurse managers as they work with new staff throughout orientation.

Each practice area orientation program has a general timeframe, but the length of orientation is based upon the individual needs of the new nurse and negotiated with the NEC/Orientation Coordinator, Preceptor, Preceptee and Nurse Manager.

Ongoing Nursing Skills and Development

The PNSO has a multi-layered approach to planning, implementing and evaluating continuing education and professional development for nurses at all levels. Annually, nurses formulate individual professional development plans with their evaluators, Managers and/or NECs. Individual needs and goals are considered as well as practice area needs. Nurse Managers aggregate data from individual plans to construct a professional development plan for the practice area.  Aggregated data are used in budget planning to support professional development activities and to plan regional and institutional educational programs. 

A wide range of continuing education classes is available to staff. All classes offered through HRCOD (the Center for Organizational Development) are free of charge to UVAHS employees. Classes are listed on-line in the NetLearning system with information about dates and times, CEUs and enrollment status; nurses may access NetLearning from home or any in-house computer to enroll.  Most practice areas provide regular on-unit staff education defined by local staff and leadership. Nursing and interdisciplinary experts provide sessions on topics of interest to staff. The format of these offerings is designed to maximize short time frames on-unit to provide sessions immediately accessible to front-line staff during the workday. These offerings provide a good opportunity for more junior staff to be mentored in the teaching and presentation role as well, which fosters growth and development of this skill set in a broad range of nurses.

Lectures and classroom-based sessions are offered in core curricula, mandatory classes such as CPI, Discriminatory Harassment, Transfer Mobility Coach Training, and classes designed to meet specific interests of professional nurses, including Healthy Work Environments, Pain Management at the End-of-Life, Early Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, and Innovations in Acute Care Delivery. In addition to HRCOD classes, PNSO Nursing Grand Rounds are planned and presented by the Professional Development Committee. These educational programs provide CEUs. Topics are derived from HRCOD assessments and evaluations, Professional Development Plans and direct feedback from nurses. Classes and special lectures at the School of Nursing and the monthly Medical Center Hour program offer varied and relevant topics that encourage professional growth. Finally, several local chapters of professional nursing organizations hold educational events, many of which are open to "friends" of the chapter and are publicized on the PNSO website for our staff. This all adds up to many and varied opportunities for staff to access continuing education to meet their needs right here in our institution.

In addition to classroom and NetLearning web-based classes, HRCOD offers a comprehensive program of self-learning modules (SLM).  SLMs are located on a shared drive so clinicians may print the documents. Self-learning modules are written by internal clinical experts and approved by NECs and HRCOD.  Staff may self enroll and areas may require staff to complete modules based on individual and area learning needs.  

Leadership Development

Every nurse is a leader at UVAHS and every leader needs opportunities to continue to grow and learn.  UVAHS leaders are responsible for:

• Fulfilling the mission and vision of our organization;
• Embracing our corporate culture and values;
• Optimizing our greatest resource-human capital;
• Thriving in the midst of rapid change;
• Conquering challenges with confidence and vigor;
• Serving as a link to employees for organizational information;
• Facilitating team building by modeling Health System values; and
• Recognizing individual and team strengths and needs.

The PNSO, HRCOD, Faculty & Employee Assistance Program, and the SON partner to provide new and innovative programs that support the professional growth of clinical leaders, Nurse Managers, Nurse Administrators and direct care nurses.  Programs include formal and expanding leadership development programs for new and experienced Nurse Managers, preceptor development supported by NECs, new graduate and Clinical Nurse Leader programs, practice area-based Shift Manager programs, and more.  Orientation of APNs, Nurse Managers, and Administrators begins with New Employee Orientation and then becomes an individualized program, based on individual learning needs and experience.

Many leadership development programs were presented in 2005; in addition to PNSO- and local practice area-programs, the following central opportunities were offered:

• Foundations of Leadership: To develop and improve leadership practices that optimize day-to-day operations. (Selected managers (2005 pilot program to test new Leadership Program planned for 2006 roll out)
• Leadership, Building on the Foundations: To develop and improve leadership practices which optimize team and department performance. (All Managers and Directors)
• Leader's Playbook (New and Current Managers)
• Manager's Guide to Performance Appraisals (Managers, Clinical leaders responsible for staff performance appraisals)
• Supervisor / Management Trainings (Supervisors, Managers, Administrators)
• Group Seminars and Trainings (Direct care nurses, Nurse Managers, Nurse Administrators, Supervisors)
• Nurse Preceptor Program (Newly designated preceptors and those needing ‘refresher')
• Transfer Mobility Coach Training and Updates (Minimal lift program practice area coaches)
• Nurse Resident Facilitator Orientation (UHC Residency Program ‘Resident Facilitators')
• New Graduate Curricula: Nurse Residency and Nurse Mentorship Program Topics (All new graduate nurses)
• Leading Better Meetings (RNs and other health care professionals)
• Delegating for New Nursing Graduates (New nurse graduates)
• RN Delegation: Delegating Nursing Tasks and Procedures (All RN's, Nurse Managers)
• Clinical Nurse Leader Preceptor Development (CNL Practice Partners, CNL Preceptors)

UVAHS staff can also utilize the HR Center for Organizational Development's  in-depth on-line leadership development educational modules anytime. (*HS login)