On Nurses’ Learning from Errors at Work

Conceptions, Purposes and Processes of Ongoing Learning across Working Life

“…Within this volume also, reference is made to the process of learning through errors in and through work (Bauer, Leicherb, & Mulder, 2016) which is also embedded in everyday work activities, that is, workers being able to report and discuss errors they have made with colleagues and supervisors for developmental purposes. These activities are inevitably embedded in work activities, and the quality of the environment that permits individuals to voluntarily report errors and receive constructive and supportive feedback is a product of the norms and practices of particular workplaces.…”

“…An example of such an approach is the use of workplace errors as a basis for improving performance in critical areas of practice, such as nursing. By using actual workplace events (i.e., important occasions, such as when errors occur) a consideration of what led to the error can be used to prevent a re-occurrence (Bauer et al, 2016). So, the concern here is related to responding to performance issues within particular workplaces and avoiding repetition of errors or mistakes.…”

“…Another associated approach to sustaining both institutional and personal work capacities is through addressing workplace errors and using these to develop further workplace competence by identifying and utilising such errors. That is, using grounded and focused approaches for supporting ongoing learning and development through addressing errors in performance can promote effective practice in the future (Bauer et al, 2016). Noble and Billett (2016) also note how pharmacists' identification and mediation of prescribing errors by junior doctors can both assist those doctors' capacities, and also the quality of healthcare.…”

“…In this way, supporting changes in the status and standing of occupations -the act of ongoing learning -can be aligned to significant changes in the requirements for occupations and/or work practice. For instance, the need to respond to emerging requirements of professionalism from the range of occupations which have elevated status or importance, for example welfare work, provides such an example (Wegener, 2016), as does the importance of responding to errors within nursing work (Bauer et al, 2016). In a similar way, the transformation of internet security work (Billett et al, 2005) led to enhanced expectations and more salient roles and higher status of these workers.…”

“…A particular instance is the use of workplace errors as a platform for further developing workers' capacities (Bauer & Mulder, 2007). That is, when a mistake or error has occurred in the workplace, these events are used as a basis for workers' ongoing learning and specific forms of development (Bauer et al, 2016). As with handovers and morbidity and mortality meetings, there are conventions associated with making these as effective learning experiences.…”