Pedagogical Processes to Support Nurse Unit Manager Staff Development
May El Haddad1, Cheryle Moss2,3, Annette Faith-Byrne1,4, Judith Gonzalez4, Lorraine Thompson4
1 School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
2 School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
3 School of Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
4 Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, Queensland, Australia
Clinical leadership development remains pivotal for nurses, especially those in roles like Nurse Unit Managers (NUMs). Existing literature extensively covers course content and outcomes, yet minimal attention is given to explicating the operational pedagogical processes (Frasier, 2019). This presentation aims to shed light on the pedagogical approaches used in a clinical leadership development program for NUMs, presenting it as an instructive example in education.
The educational initiative involved delivering a concise, four-day clinical leadership staff development course to sixty NUMs within a large healthcare service. Integrating contemporary leadership theory and practices, the program employed various pedagogical strategies grounded in adult and workplace learning principles (Billett, 1996; Knowles, 1984), and applying reflective practice methodology. Emphasising the integration of professional experience and fostering a vision for future leadership practice, the course utilised facilitative principles, group and peer engagement, and encouraged contextualisation of theories and tools to clinical workplaces (Moss et al., 2010).
Evaluation methods included daily assessments by all participants (n=60) regarding the acceptability and relevance of content and learning processes. Post-course interviews with 15 participants delved into the application and integration of learnings into everyday practice and leadership. Results indicated high course acceptability, substantial integration, and practical application. Nuanced feedback underscored the utility of pedagogical processes, emphasising group connectedness, peer interactions, contextual fit to organisational interests, and the integration of professional experience and vision for practice. Facilitative processes and pedagogical contextualisation emerged as particularly valuable.
In conclusion, the prevalent emphasis on course content in staff development program reporting, often obscures the pivotal role of pedagogical processes. Evaluative results for the NUMs staff development program highlight the active role of these processes in triggering workplace learning and development. Therefore, there is a pressing need for increased attention to explicating pedagogical processes within staff development programs and recognising their profound impacts on learning.
Key Words:
Professional development,leadership, nurse unit manager, education pedagogy
References:
Billett, S. (1996). Towards a model of workplace learning: The learning curriculum. Studies in Continuing Education, 18(1), 43-58.
Frasier, N. (2019). Preparing nurse managers for authentic leadership – A pilot leadership development program. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(2), 79-85. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000714
Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in action - Applying modern principles of adult education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Moss, C., Grealish, L. & Lake, S. (2010). Valuing the gap: A dialectic between theory and practice in graduate nursing education from a constructive educational approach. Nurse Education Today, 30(4), 327-332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2009.09.001