Common use of – SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING Clause in Contracts

– SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING. 20.01 The Employer and the Association recognize their joint responsibility and commitment to provide and participate in the professional development of staff. In recognition of the importance of nurses’ continuing professional development, the Employer will give special consideration to requests for special work arrangements to allow nurses to pursue educational opportunities. The parties may also attempt to negotiate with local educational institutions to provide specific courses and/or discounts to meet educational needs of nurses. Nurses with special skills or training will be identified as peer resource persons and nurses will be encouraged to make use of these resource persons. Where new nursing skills are required, the initial training will be offered based on caseload needs of the area and client requirements. The Employer will cover the cost of the initial training for required skills. If the Employer does not have the resources to cover the total cost, the Employer will look to cost sharing strategies with the Association or individual nurses. (E.g. Employer covers the cost of the trainer, location, and supplies and the nurse attends on their own time.) It is expected that following initial training for needed and required skills, the nurse will have the responsibility for maintaining ongoing competence, by utilizing skills in the workplace or attending in-services. Continuous professional development is a hallmark of professional nursing practice. As a self-regulating profession, nursing recognizes the importance of maintaining a dynamic practice environment which includes ongoing learning, the maintenance of competence, career development, career counselling and succession planning. The parties agree that professional development includes a diverse range of activities, including but not limited to formal academic programs; short-term continuing education activities; certification programs; independent learning committee participation. The parties recognize their joint responsibility in and commitment to active participation in the area of professional development. Available programs will be publicized, and the Employer will endeavour to provide nurses with opportunities to attend such programs.