HE

• Types of Learning


  • Signal Learning
  • Chaining
  • Rule learning
  • Concept learning
  • Verbal association
• Signal Learning


  The person develops a general diffuse reaction to stimuli, example is return demonstration
• Chaining


  The acquisition of a series of related conditioned responses or stimulus response connections, example is IV infusion backflow
• Rule learning


  Chain of concepts or a relationships between concepts "If.. then." relationship
• Concept learning


  Learning how to classify stimuli into groups represented by a common concept
• Verbal association


  Process of learning medical terminology like appendectomy
• Must be able to recall and apply previously learned rules that relate to the situation
• Nurse Educator's Role in Learning

  • Assess the needs of learner
  • Recognize factors involved in readiness to learn
  • Correlate teaching interventions with learning styles to maximize opportunities for learning
• Correlate teaching interventions with learning styles to maximize opportunities for learning


  1. Provide appropriate information and present it

  2. Identify progress of learning

  3. Give feedback and follow-up

  4. Reinforce learning towards aquisition of KAS

  5. Evaluate learners' abilities
• Learning occurs without an educator. An educator enhanced learning by facilitating education to occur
• Learner is the single most important person is education process
• Assessment of the learner - knowing the characteristic of the learner

  • culture
  • Literacy
  • Age
  • Educational level
  • Health status
  • Socio-economic
• Determinants of learning


  • learning needs
  • readiness to learn
  • learning style
• Learning needs


  Gaps in knowledge that exist between the desired level of performance and actual level of performance
• Steps in assessment of learning needs

  1. Identify the learner

  2. Choose the right setting

  3. Collect data on the learner

  4. Include learner as a source of information

  5. Involve members of healthcare team

  6. Prioritize needs

  7. Determine availability of educaional resources

  8. Assess demands of the organization regulations

  9. Take time management issues into account
• Methods to Assess Learning needs

  • Informal conversation
  • Structured interviews
  • Focus groups
  • self-administered questionnaires
  • tests
  • observations
  • patient charts
• Timing


  The point at which teaching must take place; anything affected by physical and psychological comfort can affect learner's ability and readiness to learn
• Readiness to learn


  Time when the learner demonstrates an interest in learning information necessary to maintain optimal health
• Learning style


  The ways individual process information
• Learning style principles


  • The style by which the teacher and student prefers to learn can be identified
  • Teachers need to guard against over teaching their own preferred learning styles
  • Teachers are most helpful when they assist students in identifying and learning through their own style preferences
  • Students should have the opportunity to learn through their preferred style
  • Students should be encouraged to diversify their style preferences
  • Teachers can develop specific learning activities that reinforce each modality or style
• Learner


  The single most important person in the education process
• Learning


  • Occurs without an educator
  • An educator enhances learning by facilitating education to occur
• Characteristics of the learner to assess

  • Culture
  • Literacy
  • Age
  • Educational level
  • Health status
  • Socio-economic
• Learning needs


  Gaps in knowledge that exist between the desired level of performance and actual level of performance
• Readiness to learn


  When the learner is receptive to learning
• Learning style


  How the learner best learns
• Assessing learning needs


  1. Identify the learner

  2. Choose the right setting

  3. Collect data on the learner

  4. Include learner as a source of information

  5. Involve members of healthcare team

  6. Use Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs

  7. Discriminate what learners need to know vs what is nice to know

  8. Determine availability of educational resources

  9. Assess demands of the organization

  10. Take time management issues into account
• Learning needs will determine the design of the instructional plan to address the need for cognitive, affective or psychomotor development of the learner
• Time management


  Rankin and Stallings
• Time management process


  1. Do an initial assessment

  2. Prevent waste of time from going back

  3. Discover obstacles that hamper progress
• Learners


  Must be encouraged to offer perceptions on their learning needs
• Assessment


  • Can be made anytime and anywhere the educator has formal and informal contact with the learner
  • Informing in advance if the educator wishes to discuss problems or needs
  • Minimizing interruptions and distractions during planned assessment interviews
• Rankin and Stallings (2001): 'Emphasize important points on time management'
• The nurse educator must obtain objective and subjective data from

  the learner:

  1. Informal conversation-impromptu conversations

  2. Structured interviews

  3. Focus groups- 4 to 12 (same age, gender, past experience)

  4. Self-administered Questionnaires- self assessment

  5. Tests- pre tests

  6. Observations

  7. Patient Charts
• Methods to Assess Learning Needs


  • Written job descriptions
  • Formal and informal requests
  • Quality assurance reports
  • Chart audits
  • Rules and regulations
• Written job descriptions


  Written description effective nursing care necessary to provide services
• Formal and informal requests


  Results of staff perceptions on their learning needs
• Quality assurance reports


  Trends found in incidental reports indicating safety violations
• Chart audits


  Identify trends of nursing practice
• Rules and regulations


  Educators monitor new rules or policies implementation and its implications to delivery of care