From staff nurse to nurse consultant

Did you have a new year resolution for 2019? Mine was to stop eating chocolate and take a bit more exercise. These were good evidence-based objectives, not hugely difficult and would result in positive effects on my general health. But you can guess what's coming, I'm sure. I started eating chocolate on 2 January; the Christmas selection box was just too tempting and the exercise is rather limited, despite the fact that I now have an exercise bike placed in front of the TV.

Continuing professional development, keeping updated, attending a course, writing an assignment, being mentored by a specialist practitioner are all straightforward, logical and, if we are honest with ourselves, not that difficult or beyond our ability. They all have positive implications for our daily clinical practice and future career. But, like my new year resolutions, why do we find them so difficult to take forward, continue and complete? The simple answer is ‘our motivation’, but with the demands and realities of everyday life many people find it genuinely difficult to keep motivated with ongoing professional development.