By Us: Not for Us

WHEN we moved into our new 500-bed hospital, one of our first concerns was to develop an inservice education program which would not only provide for learning new skills and brushing up on old ones, but would also aid in developing leadership, professional growth, unity, and community understanding. Most of the personnel were transferred from two other veterans hospitals and had already been oriented to the general policies of the Veterans Administration Nursing Service. Most of the hospital aides had completed courses in general medical and surgical nursing. Refresher courses for aides, planned tours, and orientation conferences were started to acquaint us with the new situation. Two nurses and a secretary were assigned to work with all nursing personnel in planning an effective inservice education program. There were four activities which we considered necessary to the total program: (1) orientation of all nursing service personnel; (2) on-the-job training courses for hospital aides and janitors; (3) a planned yearly program for continuous improvement of nursing service and professional growth of personnel; and (4) taking part in other departmental programs and imparting information about the nursing service, and taking part in community projects, such as conducting refresher courses for inactive nurses when requested. To begin with, we concentrated on the third activity-the planned yearly program for continuous improvement of nursing service and professional growth of personnel. We wanted a stimulating, on-going program that would provide for continuously improved up-to-date nursing service and for the growth of all nursing service personnel. We wanted a program planned with, not for, the staff. After meeting the initial necessities of getting started in a new place, an ed cation and training committee was organized. All groups of nursing personnel are represented on this committee. The aides, 4he staff nurses, and the supervisors elected their representatives to the committee; the assistant chief, who is responsible for nursing education, and the instructor of aides were added to it. The committee formulated the following objectives for the education and training program: