“The community of peer group supporters is growing steadily”: what the online course for facilitators was memorable for
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From January to April 2024, our Project hosted two unique online training courses. These courses were designed for doctors and nurses in primary and specialized healthcare who aspired to create peer groups within their institutions. The selection process for these courses was highly competitive, ensuring that only the most dedicated professionals were chosen.
The first training, which lasted from January 25 to February 27, was completed by 30 specialists. The second training, which took place from March 14 to April 16, was completed by 31 specialists.
Peer groups are not an easy CPD format. Its peculiarity is that it is self-managed and long-term. The facility specialists, with the sensitive support of a facilitator, independently organize meetings, fill them with content, and support the group’s activities over the years.
“This format requires specialists to be motivated, disciplined, open to new experience and knowledge, and active. And it is exactly these professionals who come to the online course for peer group facilitators every time. Every time I am inspired by the motivation, energy, and inspiration that the participants give us. I am glad that the community of peer supporters is constantly growing,” summarizes Olga Korolenko, Capacity Building and Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator of the Ukrainian-Swiss Medical Education Development Project.
And here is what the participants themselves say:
“First of all, I am motivated by the medical director, who has been trained and is a facilitator. We want to try to organize a peer group for nurses.”
(Tetiana Ivanova, head nurse, Vasylkiv)
“Our team has long needed a peer group. The team is young, we often discuss different professional situations from different angles, and I see how necessary it is. I would like to gain knowledge to make our discussions a peer group and make them more effective.”
(Lilia Afanasyeva, doctor, head of outpatient clinic, Irpin)
“Before the full-scale invasion, I led an active social life in Kharkiv, focused on the development of the medical community. In the town where I live now, this area is not developed at all, and I would like to become a bridge that could unite local doctors into one friendly family.”
(Doctor)