Learning Stories

Workplace learning plays an important role in professional development for nurses. Using narrative inquiry the author explores positive learning experiences of eight self-selected first-line nurses in the Canadian health care setting. The role of learning from nursing practice, or workplace learning, is explored. The value of learning from experience, and the experience of others is demonstrated using the nurses? stories. Importantly, the place of learning from negative situations, such as error, misjudgments and adverse circumstances, thereby redeeming these experiences is discussed. The participants? stories provoke a compelling challenge to nurses, clinical educators, administrators and managers, and finally, professional nursing associations to reframe professional development for nurses. With a comprehensive literature review in adult education and engaging narrative the author reveals the lives of nurses, illuminates nursing practice and discloses current continuing competency flaws.