Have you ever considered a secondment? Do you find the idea frightening, or is it an opportunity to try something different? After 17 years in an RCN regional office, I decided to find out with an 18-month secondment to the college's headquarters in London.Having spent so many years in the same job, I was looking for a change. However, there were always those nagging anxieties: can I leave what I know and love? What about domestic commitments? What if I do not like the new role? What if I am not good at it?The RCN has been offering secondment opportunities for some time. Certain departments have made the posts part of their structure and welcome staff regularly moving in and out of their teams. While this policy provides useful development opportunities in relatively flat organisational structures, it does bring challenges to the teams accepting secondees (see box).
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