Developing an holistic assessment protocol on a hospice inpatient ward: staff engagement and my role as a practice development facilitator

Background: In 2014 I received the Richard Tompkins Nurse Development Scholarship, granted through the Foundation of Nursing Studies and including attendance at a five-day International Practice Development Collaborative practice development school, followed by a year’s mentorship. The scholarship aims to foster the delivery of person-centred care, which I hoped to achieve by enhancing holistic nursing assessment on a hospice inpatient ward. Aims: This article is a critical reflection on my learning through the scholarship, specifically related to staff engagement and my role as a practice development facilitator. Conclusions: While the project has not yet reached its conclusion, the learning has been invaluable. I have deepened my understanding of the need for collaboration, inclusion and participation to foster engagement and cultural change. More fundamentally, understanding how different aspects of my role enable change has proved both challenging and constructive, resulting in greater self-awareness and confidence. I remain committed to refining holistic nursing assessment to allow a greater degree of person-centred care in the hospice. Implications for practice: Practice development combines a variety of approaches to realise a shared vision; collaboration, inclusion and participation are central to fostering engagement Balancing different elements of a role (for instance, leader-manager-facilitator) has the potential to be confusing and contradictory; awareness of how these elements interrelate promotes effectiveness when introducing change Individuals in a practice development role must ensure they have good sources of suppor