Clinical Leadership Programme in Australia™
The Clinical Leadership Programme in Australia™ is a highly successful two tiered professional development programme designed developed and supported by the Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom. Commencing in 2003, South Australia has led the way in bringing the Clinical Leadership Programme to Australia.

Conducted under licence from the Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom, the Clinical Leadership Programme focuses on developing health professionals involved with both the operational aspect of health care and the implementation and delivery aspect of health care. In nursing/midwifery in South Australia, this is generally the Nursing Directors (operations) and Clinical Nurse Consultants/Managers (delivery).

The central focus of the programme is enhancement of safe quality care, with the objectives of:

• Developing how care is organised, implemented and sustained by developing leadership strategies to deal with the realities of day to day practice;
• Facilitating professional development to enhance practice; and
• Developing organisational culture to support person centred leadership and health care policy

The Clinical Leadership Programme in Australia™ is conducted over 12-18 months and provides substantial ongoing professional support, enabling challenge to personal and professional paradigms, with the aim of improving both practice and workplace culture. The programme works proactively with participating organisations and individuals to impact positively on the person, the health care team, the organisation and health care policy agendas.

The theoretical developmental framework that guides the programme, involves:

• learning to manage self;
• building, developing and managing effective relationships;
• focusing on the person receiving care;
• networking; and
• increasing political awareness.

“The CLP is not just about leadership of your staff and your patient care but it is about leadership of the profession and our future” ( Clinical Leader 2003/4)

For further information about the Clinical Leadership Programme in South Australia, please click here to visit their website.