Workforce developments are essential in increasing the prominence of gerontological nursing care in ensuring that registered nurses’ (RNs) complex work is visible in such care settings. A Commonwealth funded project – Clinical Placements for Older People (CPOP), centred on a partnership between four universities sought to improving nursing students’ understanding of aged care nursing through facilitated learning experiences in residential, acute and community settings.
Project design
Informed by a mixed-method participatory action research, entry to practice 2nd and 3rd year nursing students across the universities were invited to participate. Clinical facilitators (CFs) (n=84) specifically recruited by the universities, undertook training in Gerontological Nursing Competencies and Murra Mullangari Cultural safety program. To assist the CFs, a Community of Practice (CoP) was established premised on the work of Lave and Wenger (1991). The CoP was held on-line, as CFs were spread across ACT, NSW and Western Australia. Initially scheduled for two hours bi-monthly, it was adapted to one hour monthly. CoP participants were invited to a focus group interview, to gather their experiences.
Findings
Participation in the CoP varied, with numbers ranging from two to 18. Emerging evidence suggests the CFs appreciated the CoP for reflecting on gerontological teaching strategies and unpacking their experiences in a supportive collegial online environment. This was particularly the case for CFs working in remote areas or whose managers were less familiar with the CPOP leadership program.
Conclusion
Supporting RNs in their practice is pivotal in enabling them to feel connected and empowered. CoPs offer an avenue for nurses to learn, across different care settings and regions in harnessing an understanding of the wider and social dimensions that shape the care environment in which they work. This CoP offered a way for diversity and experience to be embraced, supporting uptake of gerontological nursing practice translation to occur.