Introduction
There is much discussion concerning the value of compulsory continuing education as a necessity for recertification of nurses. Apparently, many nurses have decided to advance their education through the various channels available to them. Nonetheless, that does not come without challenges as well as opportunities, which they are supposed to tackle as well as take up respectively in the process of learning. In that regard, having the required competence allows nurses to learn with ease in addition to benefiting from the opportunities presented by advancing learning.
The Nurse as Learner and Teacher
A nurse may learn in a divergent of ways including continued formal academic education, continuing education departments of universities or college, legislatively authorized continuing education, sporadic personally chosen educational pursuit, institutionalized human resource development courses, or voluntary by professional organizations. Apparently, graduate study may be in nursing or other disciplines, which improve the practice of nursing. Further, institution-based human resource development programs are administered by the employer while human resource development (HRD) programs are formulated to elevate the skills and knowledge of the employees (McDonald, 2014). Notably, the phrase ‘continuing education’ refers to the formalized experiences formulated to inflate the skills or knowledge of nurses.
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Challenges and Opportunities
The problems linked to learning in the present system of healthcare are varied. Nurses today must also maintain their currency with practice and theory associated with healthcare, nursing, and medicine. Thus, nursing education programs prepare the new practitioner with practical beginning nursing knowledge. Nonetheless, changes happen swiftly and often in healthcare and nursing. As a result, nurses must continue learning to stay current. Most states require nurses to finish training education programs formulated to enhance skills and knowledge. Therefore, in some cases, they travel to specialized centers to attain superior expertise or to international and national nursing conferences to network as well as share information regarding the practice (Blais, 2006). Accordingly, most of them return to school to attain advanced degrees in nursing alongside other health associated disciplines.
However, the significance of education roles of nurses presents new openings for nurses as learners. One opportunity is that of leadership. When nurses advance their education, they attain leadership skills, and they can actually delegate as well as manage complex situations to complete tasks in addition to enhancing care quality. Additionally, advancing the nursing education presents the opportunity of understanding healthcare policy (Blais, 2006). Notably, they know the law and its application that may influence resource availability and thus, care quality at the bedside. Finally, advancing the education presents the opportunity for quality enhancement. Nurses can understand the essence of quality improvement in addition to applying the concepts in saving the lives of the patients they serve.
Learning Theories
Behaviorism
The theory was initially advanced by Edward Thorndike who exemplified that knowledge transfer could take place if the new circumstance closely bared a resemblance to the old one. To him, the word ‘understanding’ was utilized in the context of constructing associations. One of his key contributions applicable to teaching is that learning should be grounded in the behavior of the learner,
Social Learning Theory
Social learning theorists believe that the environment wields a significant deal of control over explicit conduct. Nonetheless, they argue that the entire process of learning encompasses three increasingly interdependent aspects. Such include a characteristic of the individual, the individual’s behavior, and the learning environment (Bates, 2015). These elements affect as well as control each other via a process known as reciprocal determinism. The essential contribution of the process is the notion that the behavior of the learner creates or influences his or her environment.
Cognitivism
Cognitivism portrays learning as a multifaceted cognitive activity. Cognitivists perceive learning as the development of understandings alongside appreciations that assist the individual function in a superior background (Bates, 2015). Accordingly, erudition is grounded on a transformation of discernment, which itself is predisposed by the senses alongside the exterior and interior variables. Correspondingly, learning is largely a thinking, intellectual or mental process. The learner structures as well as processes information from his or her insights of the information.
Humanism
Humanistic theory of learning emphasizes on both affective and cognitive (attitudes and feeling) areas of the student (Bates, 2015). Accordingly, it centers on the whole individual and thus, is relatable to a holistic viewpoint of care. According to the theory, learning is self-initiated, self-motivated, and self-assessed. Apparently, each person is seen as a distinct composite of the spiritual, cultural, social, psychological, and biological factor. Learning emphasizes on self-development and attaining full potential. Ideally, it is best when it is pertinent to the learner. Self-determination and autonomy are essential as the learner establishes the learning needs and takes the initiative to meet them. Therefore, the learner is an active participant and assumes responsibility for attaining individual needs for learning.
Competences
Learning is a composite experience. It is an interactive process between the teachers, the learner, and the environment. Besides, it has numerous elements such as teaching and learning styles. As such, for a nurse to be a learner, he or she must achieve various competencies. Such include motivation, readiness, and active involvement (Bastable, 2008). Motivation to study is the incentive or inspiration to study. It inspires how swiftly and how an individual learns. Additionally, readiness to learn is the behavior, which reflects motivation at a particular period. It reflects the willingness as well as the capacity to learn. The role of the nurse is to assess readiness to learn and often to encourage the development of preparedness. Finally, active involvement makes learning increasingly evocative. If the student actively partakes in planning as well as discussions, knowledge is faster, and preservation is better. Nonetheless, passive learning does not support optimal learning.
In conclusion, while there are numerous ways that nurses can learn, there are various theories applicable to the role of a nurse as a learner. Such include behaviorism, social learning theory, cognitivism, and humanism. Moreover, to be better learners, they require having the competencies of motivation, readiness, and active involvement. Notably, despite the various challenges, it is essential for nurses to get engaged in advancing their education to attain leadership skills, understand healthcare policy, and improve the quality of their services.
- Bastable, S. B. (2008). Nurse as Educator: Principles of Teaching and Learning for Nursing Practice. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.
- Bates, B. (2015). Learning Theories Simplified: And How to Apply Them to Teaching.
- Blais, K. (2006). Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
- McDonald, M. (2014). The Nurse Educator’s Guide to Assessing Learning Outcomes. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
