Abstract

Recruiting and retaining appropriately qualified academic staff is vital for the delivery of high-quality teaching in any academic setting, including health care and nursing. Evidence suggests that transition from an expert clinician to becoming a novice academic in the field of adult nursing could be challenging. A Quality Improvement project was undertaken to develop a structured induction and orientation programme in the School of Nursing and Health Care Leadership ensuring a smooth introduction to academia. The outcome of the QI project suggests that novice academics benefit from a structured induction and orientation programme helping in the smooth transition from expert clinician to becoming a novice academic.

Key words: Novice academic staff, support, induction and orientation, professional development, quality improvement, project.