The adult learning theory will be applicable to the delivery of content on the work-life balance in the clinical setting. The lessons will be delivered as part of the coaching and orientation program targeting new nurses, meaning that the nurse educator will act as both a trainer and a role model for the newly recruited clinicians. According to Allen et al. (2021), the model of delivering information through coaching and mentorship conforms to the social cognitive orientation of the adult learning theory. In the application of the orientation within an organizational environment, the role model is a formal mentor, a supervisor, or more experienced members of the organizational team within which the learner operates. The supervisors or teammates become supportive of the learner by offering a network that would help them to learn and grow (Allen et al., 2021). This perspective would work in the proposed delivery of the work-life balance topic by ensuring that the clinical nurse educator is the mentor and the more experienced nurses in the various units where the new recruits will work are the network of support they need to learn and grow.
Existing evidence points to the successful application of the adult learning theory in training adult learners in clinical settings. Curran (2014) reviewed existing literature on learner-centered teaching styles and found out that the application of adult learning theory promotes the engagement of learners, their learning outcomes, and the transferability of the lessons to diverse practice settings. Allen et al. (2021), from their review of leader development programs, argued that the professional training curricula adopted in medical education – as well as in the military – successfully apply the elements of the adult learning theory to impart knowledge and skills to the students. The evidence from their research supports the use of specific orientations of the theory in educating learners on specific topics. Mukhalalati and Taylor (2019) further provided support for the adoption of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle in providing health education.
The major diversity issue in the clinical practice setting is the differences in age among the new nurses targeted by the intervention. A recent trend observed at the facility is that many of the newly recruited nurses from Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree programs are also advanced in age. Smiley et al. (2021), reporting on a nursing workforce survey, presented the findings that the median age of Registered Nurses (RNs) is 52 years. The report also projected that the aging of the nursing workforce will be a continual trend beyond the year 2020 (Smiley et al., 2021). The implication is that the majority of established practicing RNs are older than 50 years, and even though new hires are entering the profession, their age does not greatly reduce the median value. At the facility, the nurses joining the workforce are generally of a wide age range, including individuals between 22 and 46 years old.
The age of the learners is an important diversity factor because the cognitive abilities of individuals usually decline with age. According to Clark et al. (2015), older adults have slower reaction times and lower accuracy when performing new skills, which can play a role in the acquisition of activity-oriented skills. Janacsek et al. (2012), on the other hand, found that the implicit learning abilities, which are responsible for the acquisition of motor, cognitive, and social skills, are more pronounced in younger individuals, with the ability to acquire the implicit skills peaking during adolescence and declining as the years progress. Consequently, age becomes an important factor when teaching work-life balance, which is a social skill. It is also worth noting that the older students have more experience in striking a balance between various demands of life and could benefit more from experiential training than their younger colleagues. Therefore, the delivery of the lesson has to be age-appropriate, with the clinical nurse educator identifying individuals’ personal learning abilities before delivering the lessons.
In the learning environment, it is inevitable that conflicts might occur among students or between students and the nurse educator. Valente and Lourenço (2020) argued that the conflicts arise due to differences in culture among the students in the classroom, or because of other factors such as the individuals’ personalities, value systems, interests, and learning needs. Conflict might also arise if some students feel excluded from the delivery of content b
Struggling with online classes or exams? Get expert help to ace your coursework, assignments, and tests stress-free!