Structured academic writing retreats in healthcare professional practice.

The critical importance of writing skills in communicating issues, such as the evidence needed for resources and change as well as the implementation of new practices and processes based on evidence-based outcomes, are now core skills for every healthcare professional including nurses in clinical practice. Within a very busy and challenging work environment, while maintaining a work-life balance, writing to fulfil these professional requirements can become challenging and even impossible. This article describes an educational intervention which adopted the Structured Writing Retreat (SWR) model developed by Murray and Newton in 2009 into a healthcare practice setting.