BUILDING A LEARNING CULTURE THROUGH AN ENHANCED LEARNING PARTNERSHIP IN CONTINUING CARE

Abstract

Continuing and long-term aged care environments provide important health and social support services to older adults, but are rarely seen as optimum sites for student learning, or as vibrant spaces for personal and professional growth for staff or residents. Creating a supported learning environment within these care settings is vital to enhance quality of care and quality of life for residents, their families and staff, and to promote effective learning experiences for students. The Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary is working with Covenant Care, a non-profit care provider organization, on an innovative partnership aimed at developing a learning culture within a complex care environment in Calgary, Alberta. This enhanced learning partnership is comprised of three core elements: 1) an undergraduate nursing positive placement program (+PPP); 2) research and advanced practice learning opportunities for graduate students; and 3) learning opportunities and workforce development for residents, families and staff. This participatory action research study is exploring and developing a person-centered care and learning culture within a supportive living and hospice setting. This presentation will detail our developing understanding of the core components of a learning culture within long-term care settings, as well as aspects of culture change, including barriers and facilitators, culture change process, and challenges associated with evaluation and sustainability.