Working and Learning Together

Abstract

CHANGES in nursing service practices also mean changes in educational programs for nursing service personnel. Where once they were planned for professional registered nurses only, they now include practical nurses and auxiliary personnel. The trend is to carry out an educational program on a horizontal rather than a vertical basis; in other words, to include personnel in all categories in the same teaching program if all need to have information about the particular subject that is being considered. This change has come about because members of these groups work as a team in caring for patients. Another trend related to the administration of the ecucational program is that now one person is usually in charge of it, while formerly there was one instructor or supervisor for professional nurses, another for practical nurses, and still another for auxiliary workers. The former pattern tends to separate personnel who must work together to provide safe nursing care. Where once the entire content of the program was directly related to nursing, now human relations and group participation skills are considered to be equally as important. All this is but part of the thinking that prompted the reorganization of the inservice education program for nursing service personnel at Harper Hospital in Detroit. Old content is used in a new fashion, and workers are taught in the classroom to work together under the supervision of general duty nurses who will eventually be group or team leaders in a hospital ward or division. Much more thought and effort are put into the program, not only by those who are responsible for planning and teaching it, but also by persons who will be the students-professional nurses, practical nurses, nursing aides, floor clerks, and others.