Barriers to work-based learning in clinical environment from the perspective of nurses and nursing managers

The learning process is present throughout nurses' working lives, and work-based learning is one of the best ways to ensure professional competence during their working lives. Awareness of the value and importance of this learning method is very important in the strategic goals of health care organizations to succeed. The aim of this study was to investigate the implementation barriers of work-based learning practices in clinical settings.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed in February 2016 in two hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Using available sampling and Morgan table, 220 clinical nurses, nursing managers (matron, supervisor, head nurse) were selected as the research sample. The opinions of nurses and nursing managers were examined in clinical education environment using a researcher-made questionnaire that was validated. After data collection, data analysis was performed using Spss software. Data using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and inferential tests (exploratory factor analysis, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin sampling adequacy test, Bartlett sphericity test, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, one-group comparison test, independent means test and test Nonparametric statistics within Friedman's case were analyzed.

According to nursing managers and nurses, individual, organizational and managerial factors were serious barriers to work-based learning in health centers. The difference between the opinions of nursing managers and nurses was statistically significant only in managerial barriers (P <0.01) and the difference between the views of nursing managers and nurses in individual and organizational barriers was not statistically significant (P >0.05). Compared to nursing managers, nurses considered managerial barriers to be more involved in work-based learning. According to nursing managers, organizational barriers were the most limiting factor for work-based learning methods in clinical environments.

Using work-based learning method is one of the active and interactive learning ways that leads to professional development in many fields, including nursing. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors that affect the implementation or non-implementation of this learning approach. Therefore, it is necessary for health care organizations and executives, especially in the clinical field, to consider the need to do work and improve the quality of nursing services in clinical environment and hospitals to identify other factors that hinder on-the-job learning and as far as possible Familiarize employees more and implement new and active training methods and, if necessary, integrate it with other learning methods.