Although ongoing education is an expectation of all nurses in today's climate of increasing technology and patient acuity, little is known about the attitudes, beliefs, and values of the general staff nurse toward on-the-job learning. The authors detail the factors that influence the learning ability of nurses on general medical-surgical units in a teaching hospital in relation to their nursing practice. Findings of what promotes learning, what interferes with learning, and how learning is integrated into nursing practice are outlined. Implications for the future are discussed.

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