title: Using guidelines to support secondment: a personal experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Secondment is recognized as a method of staff development and can offer both individuals and organizations structure and flexibility in relation to service development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article describes the experience of a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) seconded 3 days a week for 18 months to a Macmillan Education Unit, as an associate lecturer (the host organization). Different types of secondment are discussed, mapping this experience to Partnership Information Network guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 360 degrees evaluation process involving all key stakeholders was carried out, and highlighted positive aspects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Secondment is recommended as a valuable and safe method of staff development, increasing knowledge and skills, raising motivation and aiding retention, provided guidelines are adhered to and strategies are in place to mitigate risks.
authors.affiliation: Macmillan Hospital Palliative Care Team, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK. helen.dryden@mariecurie.org.uk
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dryden
authors.forename: Ann Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rice
mesh_terms: D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D009720:Nurse Clinicians; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012606:Scotland; D013222:State Medicine