Growth-based Career Planning for Healthcare Professionals

Reimagines career development to empower healthcare professionals to grow across sectors and settings With retention rates continuing to challenge the sector—not only among newly qualified professionals—Growth-based Career Planning for Healthcare Professionals offers a timely re-evaluation of career development rooted in contemporary workforce issues. This innovative book shifts the focus from outdated promotion-based models toward a perspective that values diverse roles, experiences, and aspirations, introducing a new narrative that emphasises opportunity, agency, and actionable insights for practitioners, managers, and leaders alike. Inviting readers to think more holistically about their career journeys within the health and care ecosystem, Growth-based Career Planning for Healthcare Professionals: Provides practical strategies for implementing inclusive career development across the four pillars of practice: clinical practice, leadership, education, and research Highlights the connection between career planning, well-being, and workforce sustainability Explores real-world applications of the Kawa model to support personal and professional growth Features reflective, solution-focused questions to guide individual and organisational action planning Offers narrative-driven insights into the career journeys of diverse health and care professionals Addresses wider structural and cultural dynamics, offering strategies to foster equity and diversity as part of a humanistic approach to workforce development Supporting person-centred workforce development through adaptable models applicable across sectors and settings, Growth-based Career Planning for Healthcare Professionals: A Narrative for Change serves as a vital resource for all healthcare practitioners, line managers, operational leaders, and strategic workforce planners across sectors. It is ideal for pre-registration learners (students and apprentices) in healthcare, particularly in modules related to workforce development, professional practice, career development, and leadership.

Glossary xiii Author’s note on the content and book design xv About the author - in three forms xvii How to read this book (and if reading it in a paper version, Hopefully write in it too!) xxiii About the co-authors and storytellers xxv Reflective questions xxix Endorsement xxxi Acknowledgements xxxiii Part 1 Why Do We Need to Talk About Growth- Based Career Planning? 1 1 The Limitations of the Career Ladder 7 Reflective Questions 12 References 12 2 Work and Life Outside of Work 13 Reflective Questions 17 References 17 3 Values- based Career Decisions 18 Reflective Questions 22 References 22 4 Autonomy 23 Autonomy in Career Planning 23 Autonomy in Our Work Roles 24 Reflective Questions 25 References 26 5 Growing Ambition and Patience 27 Reflective Questions 29 Reference 29 6 Joy in Work 30 Reflective Questions 32 References 33 7 Transferable Knowledge and Skills 34 Reflective Questions 39 Appendix 7.A Transferable Skills Activity 39 References 40 8 An Inclusive and Representative Workforce 41 Growing Routes into the Professions Including Apprenticeships 43 Career Promotion for Career Changers 45 Career Growth from Our Life Experiences 46 Reflective Questions 50 References 50 Part 2 What Is Growth- Based Career Planning? 53 9 Vertical Growth 57 Hierarchies of Structure 57 Levels of Practice 58 Vertical Growth in Practice 60 Reflective Questions 63 References 63 10 Lateral Growth 65 Reflective Questions 67 Reference 67 11 Growth for Consolidation 68 Reflective Questions 72 References 72 12 Growth through Portfolio Career Planning 73 Developing a Portfolio Career 75 Reflective Questions 77 References 77 13 Growth within the Clinical and Professional Practice Strand 79 Preceptorship (and Pre- Preceptorship) 82 Resources to Support Growth at Different Levels of Practice 83 Do I Need to Specialise to Grow my Career in the Clinical/Professional Practice Strand? 84 Growing Careers in the Clinical/Professional Practice Strand within Origin Professions and from Them 86 Reflective Questions 89 References 89 14 Growth within the Leadership and Management Strand 91 Leadership and Management Roles as Part of a Portfolio Career 93 Growing Leadership and Management Skills and Behaviours throughout Our Careers 94 Reflective Questions 98 References 99 Resources 99 15 Growth within Education, Learning and Development Strand 100 Reflective Questions 104 References 104 16 Growth within the Research and Innovation Strand 106 Reflective Questions 110 References 111 Part 3 How Do We Support Growth- Based Career Planning? 113 17 Career Rivers – Introducing the Kawa Model 115 Introducing the Kawa Approach 115 Thinking About Our Careers with the Kawa Model 116 Thinking About Our Careers: Past, Present and Future 117 Thinking About Our Careers: A Snapshot of the Present 118 What Goes into Kawa Maps? 118 River Water/Flow 118 Riverbanks 119 Rocks 120 Driftwood 120 Spaces 121 A Focused Narrative Example: Introducing Apih, from Technophobe to Fully Online Speech and Language Therapy Practice 121 Final Extracts from Interview with Apih 127 Using the Kawa Model for Holistic Growth- Based Career Planning 127 Reflective Questions 129 References 130 18 Using the Kawa Model Approach for Growth- Based Career Conversations 132 Introduction 132 Personal Investment 133 Growth- Based Career Decisions 134 Using the Kawa Model Approach to Support Growth- Based Career Planning in Practice 135 Longitudinal Kawa Maps 135 Cross- Sectional Kawa Maps 136 Personal and Professional Growth and Development 137 Pre- Registration Learners 137 Newly Qualified/Foundation- Level Practitioners 138 Experienced Practitioners at Enhanced, Advanced and Consultant Levels of Practice 139 Researchers and Academics 139 Management and Leadership Positions 140 Teams and Organisations 141 Focused Narrative by Kee Hean Lim 142 In Summary 145 Reflective Questions 145 References 146 19 The Role of the People Profession 148 The Roles within the People Profession 150 Disruption and Innovation in Workforce Planning 151 The People Profession As A Guide for New Ways of Thinking About Recruitment 152 People with Career Breaks on Their CVs 153 People Who Have Been Dismissed By a Previous Employer or Left Under Difficult Circumstances 153 People with Multiple, Short- term Posts on Their cv 153 The People Profession As A Guide for New Ways of Thinking About Retention and Flexible Working 155 Developing Staff and Encouraging Lifelong Learning for Growth and Retention 156 Cross Sector and Industry Projects 157 Supporting the Growth of the Broader Profession 158 Public Service 158 Spaces for Collaborative Reflective Practice 158 Learning on the Job and Learning ‘Just in Time’ 159 And Sometimes Leave Staff Alone 159 Developing Line Managers and Leaders 159 Other Kinds of Leaders – How Do We Nurture and Support Them? 160 The People Profession As A Guide to the Future of Work 161 AI and the Future of Work 164 A Final Word 165 Reflective Questions 165 References 166 20 The Role of the Regulators, Professional Bodies and Other Strategic Organisations 168 Regulators and Professional Bodies 168 Working with and for Your Professional Body (and Maintaining your Registration) 171 Resources to Support Growth- Based Career Planning 175 Reflective Questions 177 References 178 21 Growing Ourselves and Our Networks 180 Volunteering 181 Supervision 181 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 182 Mentoring 183 Communities of Practice 184 Networking 185 Counselling 186 Reflective Questions 187 Resources 187 References 187 Epilogue – Dreams for the Future 189 Index 196