Nursing Education Co-Ordinator

Job/Role Summary

Lead nursing education activities across the Trust .Provide a strategic overview of nursing education for the Nursing Executive team .Lead and co-ordinate the nursing development facilitators and clinical educator’s work relating to education .Liaise with local education providers; University of Ulster, Queens University Belfast and Open University, and The Beeches Management Consortium in relation to pre- and post-registration education .Providing support for students while on site .Lead the commissioning process for a large Trust and liaise with the Education Commissioning Group .Facilitate learning opportunities including facilitative reflective practice such as clinical supervision, critical companionship and action learning and deliver programmes such as the ‘Facilitation in Practice’ module. .Member of the ‘Reach’ Project team.

Specific qualifications and experience required

• Registered nurse/midwife on NMC register
• Educated to Masters level or able to demonstrate equivalent level of academic development.
• Post-graduate certificate in Life long learning (Facilitating )
• Facilitation Skills
• Ability to demonstrate leadership skills
• Experience of practice development work
• Budget Management
• Demonstrate knowledge of current strategy and policy in relation to nursing education.
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills
• Computer literate
• Ability to systematically collect data
• Ability to write reports
• Ability to present at conference.

Career Milestones

As a ward manager I developed leadership and organisation skills, and was able to value the impact that expert nursing care can have for patients, their families and for nurses themselves. The belief that this expert care should be available for all patients has driven my career to date. I have undertaken a variety of formal learning activities, including completing a degree in 1998. It was during this course that I first learned about clinical supervision and I was interested in how supportive reflective practice could support nurses while also improving patient care. More recently, I also completed the Post-graduate Certificate in Life-long Learning (facilitation) at The University of Ulster in 2004 which aroused my interest around the various models of facilitated reflective practice. It was completing this programme that enabled me to appreciate the full value of facilitation skills in every activity I am involved with. Skills that I acquired through experience. I have also found that the experience and challenges of working with other organisations (e.g. as a secondment or as a member of local education forums) has enabled me to look at things differently and understand the wider, and often more strategic picture.

What attracted you to this job?

• I arrived in this job following an unexpected re-organisation of the directorate I had been working in
• I have ended up in an area of practice which I thoroughly enjoy, and in which I find I am developing both personally and professionally
• I have enjoyed the way in which I have been able to shape the job to meet the needs of nursing within the Trust.

Enjoyable aspects of the job/role

• Facilitating action learning sets or clinical supervision enabling nurses who work at the bedside to grow personally and professionally, in a climate of challenge and support
• Networking with other professions within the Trust and external organisations
• Working in a team that has visionary leaders and is committed to finding innovative approaches to supporting nurses to improve patient care

Important success factors

• Being part of a supportive, yet challenging team lead by individuals who are empowering and work in a non-hierarchical way
• A Post-graduate Certificate in Facilitation provided many opportunities to develop my skills of facilitation
• The challenge and support offered during Clinical Supervision or Action Learning has enabled me to question my own practice and to develop new and better ways of working

Advice for those considering the type of job/role?

Although this is a unique type of role, others doing similar work in other organisations are always ready to offer help and advice. Be there for your colleagues and they will be around for you. Although you may be ‘far’ from the bedside, this post has the ability to influence nursing, wider than the organisation and so it is important to always have the focus of your work, the patient. At times, you may be able to work outside your own area or trust. This is a great opportunity to network and to gain a greater understanding of nursing in Northern Ireland. You will need to be prepared to engage fully with facilitation and reflective practice, and to offer challenging points of view in a variety of settings. Ensure that you develop strong support mechanisms, as change and challenge are never far away, be assured, you will never be bore

Key skills that can be gained within this job/role?

• Interpersonal skills
• Leaderships skills
• Organisational skills to help staff manage care in the ward setting
• Skills to influence
• Networking
• Negotiation
• Political and strategic awareness
• Facilitation

Career Profiles