Take Action

Implement Leading Practices

Implement Opportunities and Paid Time for Training and Development

Initiate pilot projects where 20 per cent of salary budgets are shifted to allow for professional development activities (including paid time for training and professional development, committee work for Quality Improvement, QWL, Health and Safety, etc.) Include strategies to ensure providers who often fall outside the traditional employee/employer relationship (e.g. physicians, physiotherapists, etc.) also have access to these paid time development activities.
Implement a staff development program with annual allotment per employee.
Work with managers, staff and unions to devise schedules and replacement strategies that allow staff to take full advantage of education opportunities and guarantee their replacement during education leaves.
Implement a Learning Management System to track types of programs, staff hours, costs and outcomes of training and development initiatives.
Ensure that the work environment is a learning environment, support performance evaluation.
Provide an annual QWL education budget - annual programs for all staff including: Illness and Injury prevention (MSIP, slips & falls, violence, infection control), work life balance/ Health and Wellness, and team and leadership development, etc.
Evaluate and improve orientation, mentorship programs.
Offer interdisciplinary training and development.

Health providers want professional development opportunities, time to be involved in developing professional practice and research initiatives, and demonstrated support from leaders. This leads to improved patient/client-centred care and provider retention.

Preliminary analysis of the 80:20 professional development pilot project at University Health Network (UHN) shows that there is no use of agency staff, reduced sick time, reduced overtime, and increased staff and patient/client satisfaction on the study unit.