The widespread introduction of administrative assistance could increase ward productivity and provide support for clinical leaders. Continuing professional development for WMs needs to incorporate training about management responsibilities and how to best use administrative support.

Following the United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration's (UKCRC) (2007) recommendations on careers in clinical research, there has been growing anticipation in the United Kingdom about the real potential for establishing career pathways for nurses and allied health professionals that will enable them to combine a focus on both clinical and academic roles. However, it is recognized that the implementation of this initiative will require charting largely untested waters, with issues ranging from establishing joint University: health service employment contracts, to harmonizing clinical and research roles and ensuring sustainability of funding for clinical academic posts. This paper will outline the implementation of a pilot clinical academic career initiative, which has been modelled on the UKCRC framework. We will illuminate the processes and structures employed and reflect on the factors that appear critical to the successful establishment of a clinical academic career pathway. Additionally, our experience has enabled us to identify challenges that will need to be addressed by a range of stakeholders if clinical academic careers

Purpose The improving global health (IGH) programme is a leadership development programme that aims to develop leadership skills and behaviours alongside quality improvement methodology in National Health Service (NHS) employees in a global health setting. Through collaboration, experiential learning and mentorship, the programme aims to produce both vertical and horizontal leadership development in its participants. This paper aims to describe the programme and its impact, in terms of leadership development, in a sample of participants. Design/methodology/approach Open coding and thematic analysis of leadership development summaries (LDS) completed by 39 returned IGH participants were conducted. LDS are written on completion of the overseas placement; participants reflect on their personal leadership development against the nine dimensions of the NHS Healthcare Leadership Model (2013). Findings These IGH programme participants have reported a change in the way they think, behave and see the world. A development in sense of self and experience in developing team members are the two most commonly reported themes. Adaptability, communication, overcoming boundaries, collaborative working, “big picture” thinking and strategic thinking were also identified. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by the relatively low number of completed LDS. More work is needed to understand the long-term effect of this type of leadership development on the NHS. Other leadership development programmes should consider focussing on vertical and horizontal leadership development. Originality/value This more granular understanding of the leadership skills and behaviours developed and how it is the programme’s design that creates it, has not previously been described.

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BackgroundThe importance of leadership development in the early stages of careers in the NHS has been highlighted in recent years and many programmes have been implemented which seek to develop leadership skills in healthcare professionals. The Improving Global Health (IGH) Fellowship scheme is one such programme, it provides a unique leadership development opportunity through an overseas placement with a focus on quality improvement work. This evaluation examines the impact of completing an IGH Fellowship on the career and leadership development of participants, who are referred to as Fellows.MethodsFellows who had returned from overseas placement between August 2008 and February 2015 were invited to complete an anonymised online questionnaire, which collected information on: demographic details, motivations for applying to the programme, leadership development and the impact of the IGH Fellowship on their career. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted to further explore the impact of the programme on Fellows’ leadership development and career progression. Interview transcripts were manually coded and underwent thematic content analysis.ResultsThe questionnaire had a 67% (74/111) response rate. The number of fellows who self-identified as a leader more than doubled on completion of the IGH Fellowship (24/74 pre-fellowship versus 58/74 post-fellowship). 74% (55/74) reported that the IGH Fellowship had an impact upon their career, 35 of which reported that the impact was “substantial”. The themes that emerged from the interviews revealed a personal development cycle that consolidated the fellows’ interests and values whilst enhancing their self-efficacy and subsequently impacted positively upon their career choices. Three interviewees expressed frustration at the lack of opportunity to utilise their new skills on returning to the United Kingdom (UK).ConclusionsThe IGH Fellowship successfully empowered healthcare professionals to self-identify as leaders. Of the 45/74 respondents who commented on the impact of the IGH Fellowship on their career, 41/45 comments were positive. The fellows described a process of experiential learning, reflection and evolving cultural intelligence, which consolidated their interests and values. The resultant increase in self-efficacy empowered these returned fellows in their choice of career.