Determinants of Learning

Factors affecting a nurse educators role: 1. Educational and experiential levels 2. Time constraints 3. Ethnic and racial composition 4. Healthcare trends 5. Population demographics Determinants of Learning: 1. The needs of the learner 2. The state of readiness to learn 3. The preferred leaning styles Educators role in learning: 1. Educator 2. Facilitator 3. Assessment The educator plays a crucial role in the learning process by: 1. Assessing problems 2. Providing important information 3. Identifying progress 4. Giving feedback 5. Reinforcing learning 6. Evaluating learners ability Significance of assessment: 1. Validates the need for learning 2. Prioritize information 3. Ensure that optimal learning will occur with the least amount of stress and anxiety for the learner 4. Prevents needless repetition 5. Helps to establish rapport between the two parties 6. Increase the motivation to learn by focusing on what the patient or staff member feels is most important Factors when assessment is overlooked: 1. Shortened hospital stays and limited contact 2. Tighter schedule of nursing staff 3. Time constraints 4. Unfamiliar with the principles of teaching and learning Determinants of learning: 1. Learning needs what the learner needs and wants to learn 2. Readiness to learn when the learner is receptive to learning 3. Learning style how the learner best learns Learning needs gaps in knowledge that exist between a desired level of performance and the actual level of performance Important steps in the assessment of learning needs: 1. Identify the learner 2. Choose the right setting 3. Collect data about the learner 4. Collect data from the learner 5. Involve members of the healthcare team 6. Prioritize needs 7. Determine availability of educational resources 8. Assess demands of the organization 9. Take time-management issues into account

Criteria for prioritizing learning needs: 1. Mandatory must be learned for survival or situations in which the learners life or safety is threatened 2. Desirable not life dependent but are related to well-being or the overall ability to provide quality care in situations involving changes in institutional procedure 3. Possible information that are nice to know but not essential or required or situations in which the learning need is not directly related to daily activities Important points with respect to time-management issues: 1. Good initial assessment 2. Offer their own perceptions 3. Informing someone ahead of time 4. Minimizing interruptions and distractions Methods to assess learning needs: 1. Informal conversations 2. Structured interviews 3. Focus groups 4. Self-administered questionnaires 5. Tests 6. Observations 7. Patient charts Assessing learning needs of nursing staff: 1. Written job descriptions 2. Formal and informal requests 3. Quality assurance reports 4. Chart audits 5. Rules and regulations Readiness to learn the time when the learner demonstrates an interest in learning the information necessary to maintain optimal health or to become more skillful in a job Four type of readiness to learn: 1. Physical readiness 2. Emotional readiness 3. Experiential readiness 4. Knowledge readiness