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- Title
An educational initiative to support the development of communities of practice in older people's care home settings.
- Authors
Jack, Kirsten; Jones, Louise; Hamshire, Claire
- Abstract
Background: It is predicted that care home provision for older people will need to increase significantly over the next 30 years, requiring a skilled workforce that expands to meet this growing need. Innovative practice development strategies are required to support the existing workforce and provide incentives to help recruit new staff. Aim: This article aims to explore the use of the peer-assisted learning model to support the development of communities of practice in care home settings in an area of England. Method: Care home teams were invited to university-based workshops and their experiences of using peer-assisted learning were elicited through narrative telephone interviews undertaken with care home managers. Findings: Three overarching themes were identified relating to practice development: context, process and impact. Through peer-assisted learning, staff were empowered to share their expertise and knowledge with colleagues, resulting in enhanced communication, respect and person-centred resident care. Managers viewed peer-assisted learning as a sustainable, low-cost investment in staff development. Conclusion: This article contributes to practice development by presenting reflections on an innovative initiative to facilitate the use of peer-assisted learning in educational practices in the care home workforce. Combining the philosophies of community of practice and peer-assisted learning provides a model that can foster practice development in the care home setting. Further, this work can support the development of communities of practice that operate across care homes on a national/international basis. Implications for practice: • This article describes a sustainable practice development model that can be used in the care home setting • Grounding practice development in the philosophies of peer support and communities of practice can promote a climate of mutual respect and enhanced communication • Improved communication and sharing of expertise within care home teams offers the potential for improved resident-centred care provision.
- Subjects
ENGLAND; AFFINITY groups; INTERVIEWING; NURSING care facilities; NURSING education; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; THEMATIC analysis; COMMUNITY health nursing; ADULT education workshops; PERSONNEL management
- Publication
International Practice Development Journal, 2021, Vol 11, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2046-9292
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.19043/ipdj.111.007