Re‐generating the ‘self’ in learning: developing a culture of supportive learning in practice

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a project that focused on developing a culture of learning where practitioners were able to engage in supported work‐based learning in a Special Care Nursery (SCN). The project was part of a larger study focusing on the implementation and evaluation of an emancipatory practice development programme in an SCN. The aim of this phase of the study was to gain an in‐depth understanding of how the implementation of practice‐development strategies could enable the creation of a culture of supportive learning in practice. The methodological and philosophical structure of the study was based on emancipatory practice development (ePD). The ePD strategies used are aimed at promoting the empowerment of nursing staff, utilizing staff knowledge and expertise to identify the need for change, encouraging reflection on and in practice, incorporating the views of service users in the change process, and supporting staff to challenge themselves and each other. Questions are framed to evaluate systematically the processes and outcomes of the study with a view to identifying changes in the learning culture that may have occurred as a result of PD strategies. Pre‐intervention findings highlighted that tensions existed between what people espoused about learning and what actually occurred in practice. Through the use of PD processes, participants in the study began to focus on the learning environment. Key themes identified in the data included ‘learning about learning’, ‘movement from subservience to partnership’, movement from rituals to reflective questions’ and ‘movement from self‐immersed to working with one another’. Taking self‐responsibility for learning and ‘regenerating the self’ in learning emerged as key issues underpinning these themes and are subthemes of ‘values and beliefs about learning’. It is argued that developing ‘responsible self’ is key to the creation of a culture of learning where practitioners are able to develop mutually supportive relationships in order to learn in and from their practice. In conclusion, learning culture has a significant impact on how nurses go about their everyday practice. The implementation of PD processes enabled a cultural shift to occur. As a result of this, a supportive learning culture embedded within the workplace emerged. Learning about learning was seen as an important part of the context that enabled the development of the responsible self.

Work-based learning in health care organisations experienced by nursing staff: A systematic review of qualitative studies

“…Therefore, if work-based learning or commitment to constant development is not confirmed or controlled in any way, the appreciation of and motivation for learning is easily weakened. Independent studying is seen challenging, because nurses are more used to being passive receivers of information rather than being active seekers of knowledge (Wilson et al, 2006) and therefore they need support and challenging. Learning and studying also means different things to different individuals.…”

How Nurses Experience Their Work as a Learning Environment

“…Another illustration comes from the rehabilitation ward in which work was interdisciplinary; there, the documentation system helped one nurse obtain the necessary information from all professionals involved in a patient's care. These reports stress that the complexity of work affected learning in nursing practise (Eraut 2007;Hunter et al 2008) and motivated individual learning (Wilson et al 2006). In addition, this study shows how engagement in work activities led to the discovery of the need for further learning (Billett 2004b(Billett , 2008.…”

“…For example, environmental influences are foregrounded in research that has shown that nurses require learning time to provide the best patient care (Hunter et al 2008). Previous research has also suggested that, when coupled with supportive relationships, an increased level of work-related challenges influences the confidence of nurses and their motivation to learn Wilson et al 2006). In addition, social interactions, time, and support from peers influence the extent to which nurses utilise research (Gerrish et al 2008;Meijers et al 2006).…”

Forming the Professional Self: Bildung and the ontological perspective on professional education and development

“…Clarke & Wilcockson, 2001;Fenwick et al, 2012;Wilson, McCormack, & Ives, 2006). Professionals are not simply expected to perform prescribed activities in canonical ways, but rather to adjust their approach to the specific situational reality reflecting both contextual and client-related elements.…”