POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.

Positive Learning Environment.



Positive Learning Environment.

Introduction

A positive learning environment is one where questions are welcomed by the students, and when they receive thoughtful responses at mutually selected times for students and staff. It involves respect for students, freedom to learn and enthusiasm to encourage a deep approach of learning. Also, departments with heavy workloads, high assessment demands and lack of freedom encourage a surface approach to learning. Nurses feel that a positive learning environment includes participation in nursing care and professional support to the learning process and outcomes. For faculty (e.g., academic instructors), key questions focus on determining what nursing knowledge is needed to provide high quality nursing care. Thus, students can systematically learn to “think like a nurse” and can demonstrate what they know and can do, as undergraduate nurses who are members of a health care team. The primary goal for both nurses and mentors is to develop the knowledge about care for people. Therefore, this practice is necessary in order to have a positive impact of nurses on patients. (Twentyman 2006: 37)

Requirement of teaching skills for nurses

Nurses need to have teaching skills in order to educate their patients and other nurses. The teaching skills will help them to organize, to encourage learning and to promote active learning. In addition to that, nurses have a life-long responsibility to learn and foster the same attitude in others. For instance, nurses can have a positive and negative impact on how other nurses and patients will respond to any changes in the environment. Therefore, nurses should have the ability to encourage others to adapt to the change in the environment, if any, to work towards the future. Continuous education is the key to promote research and to add knowledge base of a nurse. (Price 2005: 73)

Teaching patients and / or other nurses within the clinical setting

Teaching patients and other nurses are a crucial part to provide a positive learning environment. It should be done systematically and in organized way as follows (Pennels 2003: 162):

Nurses should provide high quality, in-depth clinical experience to other nurses within the clinical setting.

Exposure to clinical situations should be increased for other nurses.

Maximize nurses' clinical learning and ensure that all nurses have the required clinical competencies.

For patients, inform them that what medicines have been used for their treatment and what are its advantages and consequences, if any.

Share knowledge and work experience of patient care and act as a positive role model.

Identify specific learning opportunities and that the learning experience is a planned process.

Observe nurses practicing skills under the appropriate level of supervision.

Assess competence and patient safety, in keeping with the assessment documentation.

Responsibility of nurses to develop themselves and others

It is important for nurses to develop themselves and their junior nurses in order to handle every difficult situation because nurses are the cornerstone of the world's health care. They not only offer care and comfort, but they also serve as role models for quality health care. Therefore, learning is a life-long process and nurses have finally ...