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Liverpool Health Service, Sydney, Australia Recruitment and retention of nursing
staff is at this point in time a worldwide issue. Recruitment of new staff
to a unit can be a costly experience �C the advertising, the interview
process, the orientation and education. After this cost, the aim is to
retain staff and to encourage them to be the best practitioner they can be.
Retention can be connected to many variables in the clinical setting, one
of these related to learning and development opportunities. For some nurse
teachers this equates with didactic presentation, endless workbooks, skill
assessments and previously prepared self-directed learning packages.
However, whilst this approach to workplace education may service the units
needs, it may not meet the needs of the learner. An androgogical approach
to learning requires recognition of the knowledge and experience the adult
learner brings to the learning environment, flexibility and relevance of
new learning. This empowers the adult learner. In a paediatric unit in south-western
Sydney, the learning contract has recently been introduced. The learning
contract enables new staff members to identify areas of interest and
together with the educator the individual staff member��s specific learning
needs are established and negotiated. All facets of learning are
negotiable, including setting of specific objectives, resources utilised,
time frames constructed, assessments and outcomes measured. Since its
introduction in the ward area, the benefits of using learning contracts are
apparent. The positive learning arising from the contract has had a
contagious effect amongst all staff. This paper will address the key
elements of adult learning principles and how they might be used to further
develop a positive learning environment.
MORE THAN LEARNING ON THE JOB
Waqa, ML