Adel Harb^1,, Janette Silva², Mohammed Al Bazroun³, Maryam Alkhalaf⁴, Aminah Blancaflor⁵

In alignment with Saudi Vision and Healthcare Transformation initiative aimed at improving service delivery, Nursing Professional Development (NPD) in Eastern Health Cluster (EHC) has a strategic plan to strengthen NPD capabilities in all health networks. This research aims to highlight the journey towards strengthening NPD capabilities in EHC and also serve as a guide for other regions striving to enhance the professional development of nursing professionals. Methodology: The study used a quantitative descriptive research design to identify the status of professional development departments and track their progress in strengthening capabilities through a gap assessment tool based on national and international standards. Analysis: The tool was used to assess all Eastern Health Cluster facilities to measure their progress between the years 2020-2023. Each facility was scored on a quarterly basis. Results: The project developed 58 Nursing Professional Development Leaders who led the strengthening of their department. Most facilities showed improvement in the majority of items. Recommendations: The project should be continued in order to strengthen all facilities irrespective of their level of development. There is a strong need to enhance communication and leadership accountability among NPD leaders and to continue mentoring and training NPD leaders in developing SMART goals for strategic plan with metrics and KPIs relevant to education and training including measuring the impact of training. Furthermore, support must be provided to Rural Health Network facilities that includes staffing resources and skill labs. Consideration can be given to replicating the study as a multi cluster project to strengthen PD capabilities nationally. Limitations: Small sample of PHC’s included in the study means that it may therefore not be fully representative of EHC PHC’s. Conclusion: Strengthening Nursing Professional Development in EHC has supported all NPD leaders to develop their leadership skills and also assisted them in improving their NPD to compete with national and international standards. It is important to continue this project in order to maintain and sustain the success. The ultimate impact of strengthening NPD capabilities is expected to have a positive influence on nurses to deliver high quality evident based patient care.

nursing professional development, strengthening capabilities, health care transformation, saudi arabia