Five years in the life of a nursing research and professional development division.

The Nursing Research and Professional Development Directorate was established to support the growth of research of professional practice in the Nursing Department. Designed as an innovative work structure, it elicited high commitment from its members, contributed to their satisfaction and freed their creative potential. The organizational structure and processes were designed to satisfy the important work criteria of involvement in decision-making, equity, dignity, security, job challenge, autonomy, mutual trust and open communication. The Directorate not only brought together expertise in research and professional development but also created mechanisms to ensure the expertise was available at the bedside. With a mandate of developing and transmitting knowledge, the availability of that knowledge in the practice arena is a mark of our success. This article describes our formative experiences including the structure, processes and outcomes of our work. The challenges we faced are also discussed.