Abstract:

Abstract background:
Continuing competence and career-long learning are essential for health practitioners’ professional development. However, it cannot be assumed that practitioners seamlessly apply new knowledge to their practice as, in reality, they face pressures and challenges as health systems adapt to changes in the way health services are provided.

Aim:
To explore what healthcare leaders have learned about the advancement of workers’ competencies to manage innovation and to translate new evidence and knowledge to their practice.

Design:
An interpretive phenomenological study design where health leaders shared their perceptions of innovation implementation in the workplace.

Methods:
Semi-structured interviews were used with ten healthcare leaders identified as innovation experts within their organization. Thematic analysis of data captured multiple subjective perspectives of participant’s lived experience of working with innovation in clinical practice settings.

Results:
The findings revealed relational leadership influences staff capacity to support others, build shared learning practices, and adopt innovation that benefits staff and patient outcomes.

Conclusions:
Relational leadership is nuanced and imbued in person-centred care principles. Relational leadership fosters adaptive and generative change that promotes development in people, creates supportive systems for innovation adoption, and foster continuous learning and professional development across organizational boundaries.

Implications for practice:
This study is of relevance to practitioners, educationalists and leaders who are interested in developing leadership programmes that aim to equip person-centred leaders to facilitate innovation adoption and evidence-based practice. Person-centred practice settings have the potential to support knowledge mobilization for continuing professional development of health practitioners.

Keywords:

Workplace learning, technology, innovation, continuing professional development, leadership.