The Australian Mentor Centre has successfully supported hundreds of nurses across Australia in the development of mentoring and related skills.  Our director, Gilly Johnson, has been a keynote and invited speaker at many national nursing conferences since 2002, and has recently been the driving force behind a number of national nurse development projects.

At the Australian Mentor Centre, we understand that the role of the Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) is challenging.  And that's why we're taking a special interest in providing unique developmental programs that focus on the leadership skills required to be a NUM today.

Another new program in 2009 is the Nurse Unit Manager Leadership Program or NUMLP for short.  So - what is NUMLP?

All nurses have a professional responsibility to foster the next nursing workforce - indeed this is part of overall nursing competencies.  Nurse Unit Managers face enormous challenges in managing a very fluid workforce, and while there are other programs that focus on pure management or clinically related skills, the NUMLP focuses on the leadership required of NUMs to achieve a cohesive working team that shares a similiar set of values and provides excellence in nursing care.

The Nurse Unit Manager Leadership Program is designed to enhance the leadership skills of NUMs and foster ongoing professional development in this important role.  The Program is designed around two core development functions including:

• The Exemplary Leadership Model by Kouzes and Posner.
• A Mentoring Group or Mentoring Circle approach to strengthen peer-to-peer support and encourage reflection, discussion, cross-function development and ongoing learning.

Additionally, NUMs are provided with access to contemporary Australian research in nursing competency models, including the Ascent to Competence Model by Dr Tracy Levett-Jones of the University of Newcastle, and to a wide variety of mainstream leadership and related thinking, case studies and challenges.

Here's what some of our current participants have said about their experiences of the NUMLP:

• 'I think this was a new fresh approach to senior nurse leadership.'
• 'Gilly was great.  Her ability to really define leadership and get off the usual management issues was great.  Refreshing to actually have content that was practical instead of what generation we belong to!!'
• 'The promise of a structured approach to leadership development.'
• 'The presentation by Gilly gave me food for thought and ways of looking at things from a different perspective.'
• 'Very stimulating day.  It's always great to hear from other members of the network.  And I like the way Gilly challenges the "norms".  It certainly made me re-think things that have become "tradition" for no good reason.'
• 'I think the program is starting to get everyone thinking a bit differently and challenging how they do things - and I am happy to admit that I am checking my behaviour and the way I ask staff for their opinion or involvement in a task.'

Of note - the Nurse Unit Manager Leadership Program is not a clinical program.  It is designed to compliment other forms of NUM development which have a focus on mainstream management and clinical skills.

We now invite nursing organisations to find out more about how the Nurse Unit Manager Leadership Program can be implemented in 2009 to provide this unique developmental opportunity to their Nurse Unit Managers. 

Click here to download the information flyer OR contact the Australian Mentor Centre on info@australianmentorcentre.com.au OR call 1800 100 848 to request further information.