B.

SC (HONS) NURSING
PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT
PP 0126
THE PRACTICE AREA AS A
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Student ID

: 14039156

IC No

: 890810-13-5714

Cohort

: 36

Word Count

: 1995

Nursing is all about lifelong learning. Nurses in the health care field
are someone who works as a professional care. I have been working as a

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nurse for the past two years. Presently, I am working at the Health
Department Office under the School Health Service (SHS) and Flying
Doctor Service (FDS) unit. In this assignment, I want display about how
my current workplace is a good learning environment.
Responsibility of staff to create and develop an environment
conducive to learning practice (Price 2004). It implies that the environment
should be continually monitored to ensure that it provides appropriate
support and experience for learners and responds to the changes that
take place. According to Hood and Leddy (2003), learning process is a
dependent on an interchange between the learner and the environments.
Conducive environment is important for learners to learn because it is
interconnected between learners need and surrounding environment, the
major factors affecting learning is the environment in which it take place.
The basic needs are available such as electricity, treatment water,
telephone line, internet connections were available.
Although I worked at the health department office, my work place is
collectively comprised of other units such as laboratory, environment
health unit and maternal child health. The collaboration and cooperation
between the units will enhance the opportunity of learning between
interdepartmental (Brown, 2009). For example, I have a chance to learn

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how to take blood specimen. There is also a chance to learn things from
other units. In my opinion, I would gain new rich knowledge and
experience. However, there is limitation of time to learn because of the
heavy workload.
Having a good role model or a mentor is one of the good elements
for a good learning environment. It is important that mentor has the
necessary skills and expertise for mentoring, which according to Neary
(2000a) induce coaching, counseling, facilitating, setting standards,
assessing and giving feedback. Experiential learning, reflective practice
and effective mentorship were showed in the mentorship programs
(Rosser, et al.2004). I always encourage new graduate nurses to be more
initiative and active in their learning. As nurses, we have a responsibility to
our profession and patients and to enhance the professional development
of our new members.
In this 21st century, computers and internet are important in medical
education for learners to engage online learning experience. Learners can
search the internet to get some useful information and improve their skills
and knowledge (Reid, 2001). This can increase the learners different use
of senses in education which may enhance their knowledge and learning.
For example, we can get the latest news about diseases that spread in

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other country. Therefore, we can pretend ourselves from the disease at

once. Many lives will be saved if we get the latest information through
internet. Computer-based learning can be tailored to the individuals age
and specific learning needs. Computer technologies, including the
internet, currently are more widely available for use as an educational
delivery mode in the health care setting. In my work place, the internet
access is stable and easily to get latest information and various related
learning.
According to Paterson et al.2010, staff can openly communication
with each other in positive learning environment that defined as good
leadership practices. Leadership is one of the most important skills in
nursing. Nurse Managers need to understand the characteristics of quality
learning environment. Positive leadership practice encourages trust and
openness mind between staff and learn how to interact with learners.
Nurse leaders have a responsibility to ensure staffs have all the
information needed to do their work, to confirm that all staff understands
their role and have the skills, capabilities and training they need to perform
at their full potential.
A library plays a very important role in promoting the progress of
knowledge. Library is a place where we can gather information. Birds and

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Roberts (1988) state that library can provide many source of information.
There are pamphlets, textbooks, journals, reports and articles. It is helpful
for leaners to get latest information and knowledge. Library is a place
where we can improve our knowledge and get the latest information
(Cheung, 1988). For example, we can find some data that we need in
library. We can see through articles about nursing to improve our
knowledge too. Libraries provide essential resources for literature
searches and access to open source and other forms of research-based
knowledge in health care settings.
Learning is reflected in changes with behavior, physicality and
attitude. Learning is an important aspect of the health professionals role
and members of most healthcare professions are expected. Learning
process can be taught through supervision visit in nursing. It can be
carried out by audit, technical meetings, discussion or seminars. During
these sessions, some issues can be solved and can be done by
demonstration and discussion. Supervision in the learning environment
can create positive attitude, nursing skills will be improved and culture
towards learning needs (Saarikoski and Leino-Kilpi, 2002). However it can
also improve relationship between staff and staff managers. In addition, it
also helps us to keep up to date.

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The relationship between staff and staff manager is very important

in the work place. Nurse Managers and experienced nurses have
important leadership roles in facilitating the adoption of evidence-based
nursing practice. Communication is the key to success in the work place
and across lifetime. Nurse Managers make sure communication within the
team is open, clear and friendly. In my work place, due to the heavy
workload, staff and staff manager, do not have much time to discuss the
problems or issues arise. In my opinion, I would like to suggest some
activities such as meeting, continuous nursing education (CNE), case
presentation and some discussion on the current problems. Ensuring open
communication can provide constructive performance guidance including
positive feedback. It needs to be organized more regularly to be
enhanced. Through these activities, a good communication is vital for
effective nursing (Ellis, Gates and Kenworthy, 2003, p.214).
Being a successful learner starts with having a positive attitude
towards learning. If the learner wants to succeed, he needs to keep on
learning. A positive attitude learner is also important in determine whether
my work place is a good place for learning. The level of understanding of a
student is due to the background knowledge and the attitude of the
student, Beaten et al (2010). To be a successful learner, we must be
willing to make mistakes and learn from them and take charge of learning.

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Leaners can use every opportunity to learn something new and must know
where to find out about formal learning opportunities through mentors, coworkers, friends, supervisors and family members. Learners must know
what skills and knowledge they need or want to learn, believe that lifelong
learning will help them to achieve their goals.
There are five rules in my work place. There are many ways to
maintain the relationship and communication between inter-disciplines in
good condition. There are such as opportunity learning, through planned
inter-discipline, continuous nursing education (CNE), workshop, monthly
meeting are frequently conducted in my work place. Therefore, the
relationship and communication among us is good. To build a good
multidisciplinary team that can meet the necessitate in primary health care
development, the interdisciplinary approach should be fostered. This
approach will create good partnership and corporation with other
departments.
Informal learning also takes place in my work place. It is where
someone can learn through experience (Bahn 2007). Some senior staff
will have more experience that can be share with new graduate nurses.
Certificate is no given and it is also not accredited. Learning occurs when
experience nurses demonstrate good practice, sharing, teaching their

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knowledge through conversations and discussions, and also provide

feedback to learners. That is a way to learn from senior staff when they
are working.
Besides the advantage for learning environment, there are some
disadvantages at my work place too. Communication obstacle is one of
the disadvantages. It is quite difficult for us to communicate to our client
regarding their health information as English is not our primary language.
For example, the client come from the rural area do have proper
education. This is because they do not have enough money to go to
school and further study. Before we can deliver a good piece of
information regarding the health care information, it is important for us to
understand the barrier, culture language and psychological barrier first.
My work place is an integrated health care with various health
programs. Hence, cognitive theory is sustainable for learners. This theory
involved experiential learning through active participation. Besides
cognitive theory, humanist theory is more applicable to work based staff. It
is more to student centered type of learning. Student centered learning
can be encouraging or discouraging it effectiveness when it is carried out.
It is significant to identify learning style of learner. One of the best
way is through doing questionnaire. Honey and Mumford (1992) style of

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questionnaire is one of the popular tools for questioning. Questioning can

provide formative and summative feedback. The objective is to know what
type of learner and which learning style that is suitable for them. Honey
and Mumford have recognized four types of learning styles. The four types
of learning styles are activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatist. This
method of questionnaire can help to avoid repeating mistakes by
undertaking activities of learning. It is easy to send the information and
skills to the learners after the questionnaire are carried out. This method is
very helpful to recognize the achievement or improvement in the subject
chosen. Without knowing the learners weaknesses of learning style, this
will make them not interested and fail to understand the subject taught.
Practicing is the most important part in my practice area. While
doing any practicing, the learner must know the theories and knowledge.
Learner should make practical session and demonstration. In practical
session learners can ask question about anything such as taking blood
specimen if did not understand. After been practiced, learner can do the
procedure with confident and correctly. The learner will fail to carry out the
practice without an equip knowledge. Practicing can gain more
experiences too. Due to the practicing, the learner can better grasp in their
work. Good attitude is important for the learners too. Learner must learn to
be open-minded. This is because the learner can accept any comments

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and negative feedbacks from others. These three elements must be

owned by all the learners so that learning is more interesting and
successful. A learner is an adult. Therefore, they need to learn what they
need.
In a good learning environment, a good role model or a mentor is
one of the good elements. Professionalism and good communication skills
are needed to be owned by them. In my work place, Miss Q is a good role
model. She has the character to become a good mentor as well as a good
leader. A good mentor is a good role model as they are professional,
responsible, caring, has good judgments and confident, (Gray and Smith,
2000). She becomes educator, civic leader, clergy, peers and ordinary
people encountered in everyday life. She is keen to supervise and guide
me although she always busy with her job. She gives emotional support
when I feel stress with my job. Miss Q is a gentle, soft and patient person
during discussion. She always points out the quality of my work rather
than the quantity of job Ive done. Therefore, she is a good mentor that I
have met in my working place. I feel grateful with what she had taught me
and all of her help with my work. I enjoyed working with Miss Q and I hope
that I will continue working with her for many years to come. I wish the
best for Miss Q and for her to continue in her current management.

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Although there are some disadvantages at my work place, I believe

I can get more knowledge at the working place.

REFERENCES
Bahn, D., (2007) Orientation of nurses towards formal and informal
learning: Motives and perceptions, Nurse Education Today, 27, p723-730

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Beaten, M., Kyndt, E., Struyven, K., Dochy, F., (2010) Using studentcentred learning environments to stimulate deep approaches to learning:
Factors encouraging or discouraging their effectiveness, Educational
Research Review, 5, p243-260
Bird, D., and Roberts, P. M., (1998) The role of library and information
services in the modular curriculum, Nurse Education Today, 18, p583-591
Brown, D. G., (2009) An interdisciplinary collaboration in nursing
education, Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 4, p52-55
Cheung, P., (1988) Library and Information Service for Nurses, Nurse
Education Today, 8, p364-368
Gray, M, A. & Smith, L, N. (2000) The qualities of an effective mentor from
the student nurses perspective; findings from a longitudinal study, Journal
of Advanced Nursing 32 (6) p1542-1549
Honey, P., and Mumford, A., (1992) The Manual of Learning Style: Peter
Honey Publications
Price B (2004) Mentoring Learners in Practice. Number 2.Evaluating your
learning environment. Nursing Standard, 19, 5

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Rosser, M., Rice, A.M., Campbell, H., & Jack .C., (2004) Evaluation of a
mentorship program for specialist practitioners, Nurse Education Today,
24(8), 596-604.Retrieved June 4, 2005, from Elsevier Science Direct.
Reid, I.C., (2001) Reflections on using the Internet for the evaluation of
course delivery, Internet and Higher Education, 4, p61-75
Saarikoskia, M., and Leino-Kilpib, H., (2002) The clinical learning
environment and supervision by staff nurses: Developing the instrument,
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 39, p259-267

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