Learning in the workplace: the role of Nurse Managers

Abstract

Objective This research explores Nurse Managers' (NMs') influence on workplace learning. The facilitation of staff learning has implications for the role of NMs, who are responsible for the quality and safety of patient care. However, this aspect of their work is implicit and there is limited research in the area. Methods This paper discusses the findings from one hospital as part of a broader philosophical hermeneutic study conducted in two public hospitals over a 20-month timeframe. NMs participated in interviews, a period of observation, follow-up interviews and a focus group. Transcribed data was thematically analysed. Eraut's 'Two triangle theory of workplace learning' was used to interpret participants' accounts of how they facilitated workplace learning. Findings The analysis found that NMs worked to positively influence staff performance through learning in three domains: orientating new staff, assessing staff performance and managing underperformance. Conclusions This study purports that NMs influence workplace learning in ways that are seldom recognised. A more conscious understanding of the impact of their role can enable NMs to more purposefully influence workplace learning. Such understanding also has implications for the professional preparation of NMs for their role in the context of workplace learning, facilitating learning for change and enabling the advancement of quality and safety in healthcare. What is known about the topic? Studies exploring the influence of Nurse Managers in workplace learning have been limited to their role in the facilitation of formal learning. There is a paucity of research that examines their role in influencing informal learning. What does this paper add? The findings of this study draw on Eraut's 'Two triangle theory of workplace learning' to further define the interdependent relationship between management and educational practices. What are the implications for practitioners? NMs' awareness and deliberate use of their management role to enhance workplace learning will not only strengthen their role, but will also foster good learning environments and quality nursing services.

Relationships between nurse managers’ work activities, nurses’ job satisfaction, patient satisfaction, and medication errors at the unit level: a correlational study

“…Today, communication and collaboration represent a considerable part of nurse managers' work [10,11,23,[26][27][28][29][30]. Cadmus and Wisniewska (2013) discovered that nurse managers most frequently perform rounds in their unit, guide staff on clinical matters, and have short meetings, or "huddles", with staff on a daily basis [15].…”

Nurse managers’ work content: development of the questionnaire and results of the pilot study

“…Today, a nurse manager's daily work mainly consists of resource management, and daily organising, such as planning work schedules, taking part in recruitment and participating in meetings and counsels (8,11,15). This work includes a lot of communication (3,4,(15)(16)(17)(18)(19) and collaboration with staff and other stakeholders (1,3,6,10,(16)(17)(18)(20)(21)(22) Nurse managers are responsible for nursing development and evidence-based practice promotion in their units (3,4,21,23) They are in a critical role to promote work protection (8,14) and work safety activities for staff in their units (9,15,24) According to the literature, nurse managers' work has been described as basically similar, regardless of the context. However, in some studies, financial management activities have been more highlighted than in other studies (3,4,6,17,(27)(28)(29) Furthermore, the increased workload and wider sphere of influence have shortened the amount of time that nurse managers can spend with nurses (6,14,15).…”

A Categorization of Workplace Learning Goals for Multi-Stakeholder Recommender Systems: A Systematic Review

“…Basic requirements goals refer to the acquisition of basic skills required for the current job position. They can be part of the onboarding process to provide new employees with the information and skills needed to work for the organization (Yen et al, 2016). Moreover, they can also be pursued by long-time employees if specific skills need to be updated regularly (e.g., safety or compliance training) or if a supervisor recognizes the need to manage underperformance (Subramanian & Zimmermann, 2020;Yen et al, 2016).…”

“…They can be part of the onboarding process to provide new employees with the information and skills needed to work for the organization (Yen et al, 2016). Moreover, they can also be pursued by long-time employees if specific skills need to be updated regularly (e.g., safety or compliance training) or if a supervisor recognizes the need to manage underperformance (Subramanian & Zimmermann, 2020;Yen et al, 2016). Particularly with the latter, basic requirements goals are sometimes difficult to distinguish from task-specific goals and the transition is blurred.…”