Supervision can be defined as the provision of regulations and feedbacks which are concerned with professional, personal, and educational development while speaking about a trainee’s experience of supplying safe and appropriate care to a patient. A successful implementation of this tool requires an understanding of learning theories which facilitate effective learning process.
Scientists distinguish such learning theories as instrumental, humanistic, transformative, social, motivational, and reflective (Taylor, 2013). Analyzing a connection between learning theories and practice is a challenging task. Some concepts might be more adjustable and helpful in a particular situation while others are mainly focused on the theoretical domain. It should be emphasized that clinicians are expected to use the best available evidence in order to adopt effective practices. At the same time, educators ought to make use of this evidence to make informed educational decisions.
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"Mentorship and Clinical Supervision".
The learning theories such as behaviorist, cognitive, and social are most often used in the practice of clinical supervision and mentorship. In order to change a person’s attitudes and responses, behaviorists recommend changing the motivation related to the surrounding or the events happening after a response. It should be highlighted that this concept might ignore the internal dynamics of learning. In contrast, cognitive learning theories focus on the significance of the inner world of a particular learner. According to this theory, the most important thing to alter is the individual’s cognition, namely thought, memory, perception, and the way in which a person structures information.
Social learning theory has been designed by Bandura, who created a new view on learning that included a consideration of personal characteristics of a student, his or her behavior, and an environment. In addition to this, he had conducted a research which indicated that nurse managers’ attitudes might influence the results of the clinical supervision process (Braungart & Braungart, 2007). The ways in which nurse mentors cope with their roles are of paramount importance for a leadership selection process. Learning is related to various social processes, and the concept of role modelling is in the center of this theory. For example, a nurse with a practical experience might become a mentor for a new colleague.
The learning theories affect such aspects of health professional education as goals, assessment, realization, and results. The clinical learning is a beneficial environment for applying the social learning theory and showing its availability. In this situation, it is crucial to apply suitable learning concepts in the spheres of mentorship and clinical supervision.
- Braungart, M. M., & Braungart, R. G. (2007). Applying learning theories to healthcare practice. Retrieved from http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763751375/chapter2.pdf
- Taylor, D. C. M. (2013). Adult learning theories: Implications for learning and teaching in medical education. Medical Teacher, 35(11), 1561-1572.
