'I beg your pardon?' Nurses' experiences in facilitating doctors' learning process--an interview study

Abstract

Objective: Working alongside specialized palliative care nurses brings about learning opportunities for general practitioners. The views of these nurses toward their role as facilitator of learning is unknown. The aim of this study is to clarify the views and preferences of these nurses toward their role as facilitator of physicians' learning.

Methods: Qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews. We interviewed 21 palliative care nurses in Belgium who were trained in the role of learning facilitator. Data were analyzed using Grounded Theory principles.

Results: First all interviewees shared the conviction that patient care is their core business. Secondly two core themes were defined: nurses' preferences toward sharing knowledge and their balancing between patient care and team care. Combining these themes yielded a typology of nurses' behavioral style: the clinical expert-style, the buddy-style, the coach-style and the mediator-style.

Conclusions: Palliative care nurses' interpretation of the role as facilitator of general practitioners' learning diverges according to personal characteristics and preferences.

Practice implications: Asking clinical expert nurses to become a facilitator of other professional's learning requires personal mentoring during this transition. Nurses' preferences toward practice behavior should be taken into account.

Keywords: Interprofessional relations; Palliative care; Primary health care; Professional role; Workplace learning.