That is what learning
is. You suddenly understand something
you’ve understood all your life, but in a new way.
-- Doris Lessing
This powerful quote has been an inspiration
to me for many years. Lifelong learning
is a core value of mine, as I believe it is for all nursing professional
development (NPD) specialists. We are
committed to facilitating lifelong learning for others—at many levels and in
many roles in our organizations. We
continue to stay current with evidence-based practice, and promote practice-based
evidence. We scan the healthcare
environment internally and externally for innovative practices. Sometimes we discover new knowledge. Sometimes we find validation for our current
practices.
Our
commitment to facilitating learning for others sometimes results in
prioritizing the development of others over our own development. Yet, we have the opportunity, and I would
suggest obligation, to role model lifelong learning. As stated in our NPD standards, “Lifelong
learning is important to develop and maintain competence and grow personally
and professionally,” (ANA & NNSDO, 2010).
Learning occurs formally and informally: formally through academic courses and
continuing education, and informally through self-directed learning activities
such as reading, conversations with authors, networking with colleagues, and
self-reflection.
Acquiring the academic degrees stated in our
Standards is critical. Certification in
our specialty is vital. Continuing
education evidenced by contact hours is essential. Acquiring and maintaining the credentials for
our NPD specialty is critical—this validates our expertise. Yet I often hear about the receipt of contact
hours as a task, too cumbersome for busy NPD specialists. The contact hours are not the end goal. The
acquisition of knowledge as evidenced by the contact hours is the goal.
Formal
learning occurs in other formats as well.
In recent years, I had the opportunity to complete an executive
leadership course, Leadership in Action,
through Carroll University. This program
consisted of multiple days of facilitated workshops over six weeks. In addition to the workshops, several
self-assessments, analysis of the assessments, and individualized coaching were
part of this program. The participants
included leaders in healthcare, including two physician leaders, as well as
non-healthcare leaders in the public and private sector. What a phenomenal opportunity to learn from seasoned
executives who facilitated the program, as well as other participants! I gained new understandings of my leadership
style, and new perspectives to enhance my leadership skills. Another example of formal learning is a
comprehensive and intensive certification in coaching I completed. This process included classroom learning,
experiential learning through being coached, and over 120 hours of supervised
coaching of clients. Am I proud of this
accomplishment—absolutely. However, it
is the learning from the process that was the greatest accomplishment. Those learnings guide my personal
self-reflection that is part of my daily life.
In both these examples of formal learning, it was the integration of
learning into my practice that was the greatest value, and the greatest joy.
We are
bombarded with information every day. We
can prioritize the information we access based on our learning needs. This
informal learning is targeted to meet those needs. I have integrated a structured process for
reviewing key web sites and information from key resources. ANPD provides excellent resources in nursing
professional development, and a method for us to track our continuing education
though the Professional Development Center (www.anpd.org). I schedule time on my calendar to review
current information, and select key readings from business literature every
month, e.g. Harvard Business Review. I review new posts on the ANCC and ANA
websites monthly, including ANA testimony in Congress (http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/Federal/Testimony). The Journal
for Nurses in Professional Development (http://journals.lww.com/jnsdonline)
is an ANPD member benefit. Through
online searches you can access current NPD best practices from your computer or
iPad®. To augment information in
articles published in numerous journals, I often contact authors to discuss
their work. I am always impressed with
how generous authors are in sharing their experiences and insights.
Perhaps the learning opportunity that gives
me the most joy is learning from other NPD specialists—novice to expert. Hearing exceptional insights, seeing the
enthusiasm, and pausing to appreciate unique settings and roles is intriguing
to me. Thoughts and questions from the
novice NPD specialist always remind me of the importance of fresh eyes and
questioning the status quo. Learning
from experts provides new perspectives and research that I can share with
others. Recently I was facilitating a
regional workshop for nurse and non-nurse educators. The group included novice to expert
educators. The participants demonstrated
such energy for learning, including learning from each other. I was impressed with the openness of sharing,
collaboration, and networking. They were
committed to sharing ideas with each other, and to their personal growth and
development. At one point I paused, and
just observed their interactions. I was
truly inspired.
I am
also committed to informal learning through self-reflection—what did I learn
from a specific experience? What would I
do differently the next time I am in a similar situation? How did I make a difference with others? How can I be a resource to others in the
future? Integrating learning into
practice is certainly lifelong.
I believe as NPD specialists we have the
opportunity and privilege to learn from every encounter. Whether it is learning something new or
understanding something in a new way, what joy there is in lifelong learning!
