Celebrating the Professional Development of Nurses

In March, nurses at Fairview Hospital who earned their BSN in the past year or were RN to BSN students received a Sharpie® marker and a pack of Smarties® candy with a note that read “Congratulations smarty on staying sharp with your education!” This small token of appreciation was just one of several events and acknowledgements for nurses during the community hospital’s Professional Development Week, held March 17-21.

“The purpose is to celebrate and recognize the professional development of nurses at Fairview,” says Kathleen Chambers, MSN, PNP, a certified pediatric nurse and nurse educator in the emergency department. “We value the expertise and professionalism of our nurses. This is a way to recognize them for a job well done.”

Initiated in 2013, Professional Development Week is planned by the Professional Development Committee, which is an offshoot of the Fairview Nurse Council. Here is a glimpse at some of this year’s celebrations:

Day 1 – Nursing leaders and administrators handed out bagels and coffee to nurses crossing the pedestrian bridge on their way into the hospital. The breakfast recognized Fairview’s recent Magnet® recertification. The head of the hospital’s advanced practice nurses spoke at a lunch-and-learn on caring for indigent patients. Attendees earned continuing education units (CEUs).

Day 2 – Nurses stopped by the cafeteria to fill out trivia questions about professional certifications. The Professional Development Committee handed out prizes for correct responses. Another lunch-and-learn was held, with the hospital’s director of critical care sharing insight on hyperlipidemia. Attendees received CEUs.

Day 3 –Outside of the cafeteria, nurses received cookies decorated with the Magnet logo. The committee also hosted a dinner at the Westside Irish American Club to honor the hospital’s 230-plus certified nurses. “It was a celebration of nurses who have gone above-and-beyond by learning more about their areas of specialization,” says Chambers. Fairview’s clinical nurse specialist in the medical-surgical units gave a rousing presentation about the importance of certification and the hospital’s nurses.

Day 4 – Members of the Professional Development Committee and the Fairview Nurse Council looked at submissions for Cleveland Clinic’s career ladder, which facilitates career advancement for RNs and LPNs. They checked that nurses met all the necessary qualifications to advance a level. Representatives from four local nursing schools also were available to answer any questions about going back to school. In addition, there was a book drop-off: Students who completed their BSN within the last five years turned in textbooks for current students to use for upcoming classes. Finally, a reception was held in the hospital atrium to celebrate Magnet recertification with all hospital staff.

Day 5 – Managers distributed candygrams to staff. The candy bars included a shamrock with the message “How lucky we are to have you.” Nurses purchased the candygrams the week before to honor peers. For instance, a pediatric nurse received one for starting a journal club on her unit to help nurses keep up-to-date on important nursing articles. The Smarties and Sharpie handout also occurred on the last day of the celebration. A poster listing all the BSN graduates and RN to BSN students was displayed in a main walkway until the end of March.