Providing a navigable route for acute medicine nurses to advance their practice: a framework of ascending levels of practice

This article conveys concerns raised by delegates at the International SAM Conference (Manchester, 2015) regarding how to advance nursing practice in acute medicine. It endeavours to capture the essence of ‘how to advance practice’ and ‘how to integrate advanced practice’ within the workforce structures of an acute medicine unit (AMU). It addresses the production of tacit knowledge and the recognition and integration of this to developing the nursing workforce. The current context of NHS efficiencies and recruitment issues emphasize the value of retaining tacit knowledge. Uniquely, this article offers an early conceptual framework through which levels of advancement and potential transition points to advance nursing practice in acute medicine are articulated. Determining how to advance requires identification of prior accomplishments such as, tacit knowledge, experiential learning, CPD, specialist courses and management experience. This requires nurses to make judicious decisions to advance their practice and the distinction between ‘amassing experience’ and ‘career progression’. It aims to stimulate thinking around the practicalities of advancement, the value of tacit knowledge and potential realization through the framework trajectory.