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MORE THAN LEARNING ON THE JOB

Waqa, ML

Liverpool Health Service, Sydney, Australia

Recruitment and retention of nursing staff is at this point in time a worldwide issue. Recruitment of new staff to a unit can be a costly experience – the advertising, the interview process, the orientation and education. After this cost, the aim is to retain staff and to encourage them to be the best practitioner they can be. Retention can be connected to many variables in the clinical setting, one of these related to learning and development opportunities. For some nurse teachers this equates with didactic presentation, endless workbooks, skill assessments and previously prepared self-directed learning packages. However, whilst this approach to workplace education may service the units needs, it may not meet the needs of the learner. An androgogical approach to learning requires recognition of the knowledge and experience the adult learner brings to the learning environment, flexibility and relevance of new learning. This empowers the adult learner.

In a paediatric unit in south-western Sydney, the learning contract has recently been introduced. The learning contract enables new staff members to identify areas of interest and together with the educator the individual staff member’s specific learning needs are established and negotiated. All facets of learning are negotiable, including setting of specific objectives, resources utilised, time frames constructed, assessments and outcomes measured.

Since its introduction in the ward area, the benefits of using learning contracts are apparent. The positive learning arising from the contract has had a contagious effect amongst all staff. This paper will address the key elements of adult learning principles and how they might be used to further develop a positive learning environment.