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The potential for learning within hospital learning communities: the interplay between nursing practice and education to support research ability

  • Wendy M. Heemskerk EMAIL logo , Talitha D. Warning , Frank Brus and Miranda M. W. C. Snoeren
Published/Copyright: July 13, 2020

Abstract

Objectives

Nurses must contribute to the development of professional practice and thereby improve quality of care by using their research abilities. Therefore, learning communities comprised of nurses, students and teachers were created in a hospital.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive methodology was used. Three learning communities were purposefully selected, and members were asked open-ended questions about their learning and activities in multiple data collection sessions. Data were analyzed by means of an inductive process.

Results

Both individually and collectively, members learned about research in general, research terminology and methods. They learned about asking questions and critical thinking, and, specifically through collective learning, they learned about the differences between education practices. Activities were carried out primarily to continue personal learning.

Conclusions

Learning within the learning communities was mainly research-oriented and therefore potentially suitable for enhancing research ability. Implications are offered to support the formulation of community activities.


Corresponding author: Wendy M. Heemskerk, HagaAcademy & Innovation, Haga Teaching Hospital, Els Borst-Eilersplein 275, 2545 AA, The Hague, The Netherlands. Phone: +31 70 210 2966. E-mail:

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Conflict of interest: There are no known conflicts of interest and there has been no financial support that could have influenced the outcomes of this study.

  4. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.

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Received: 2019-10-24
Accepted: 2020-05-26
Published Online: 2020-07-13

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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