A glimpse into nursing discursive behaviour in interprofessional online learning

Background: The importance of interprofessional learning to provide quality patient care has resulted in the increasing use of asynchronous computer mediated conferencing in healthcare programmes within universities. The asynchronicity based on typed-written discussions in a virtual learning environment which provided flexibility in learning was used to increase opportunities for nurses and other allied healthcare professionals to participate in interprofessional learning in higher education. However, successful online learning relies on discursive practices in the virtual learning environment, embedded within discursive exchanges in practice are power relations in nursing language use; which had a negative impact on interprofessional learning and working relationships amongst nurses, between nurses and other allied healthcare professionals. This paper presents an analysis of the discursive practices of registered nurses in interprofessional learning based on asynchronous computer mediated conferencing. It aimed to ascertain if power relations were implicit in nursing language. Methods: Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis was used to analyse eight hundred and ninety typewritten online messages created in a 100% text-based online learning module at Master’s level in a University in North England between September 2004 and September 2009. Although the messages were created by 9 registered nurses and 4 other allied healthcare professionals undertaking interprofessional learning to learn about the issues surrounding e-learning in healthcare settings, this paper is part of a larger study focused on the messages by the nurses. Results: Nurses’ messages tended to appear as the first few responses in the discussion threads and their language was formal and objectifying. The genres resembled those found either in written assignment within higher education or in nursing documentation within practice. The virtual learning environment was an alternative social space for clinical practice where dominance of nurses was created, maintained and reinforced. Conclusions: Existing literature highlighted the incidents of problematic issues of interprofessional learning. In contrast, this paper explains the way nurses, through discursive practices, construct themselves in relation to their nursing and allied healthcare colleagues. Nurses need to be aware of the power-relations embedded in their language use and future research could usefully focus on the discursive aspect of interprofessional learning

Researching student perspectives on interprofessional online learning via asynchronous text-based conferencing in healthcare education: a literature review

Background: There is an increasing important role for asynchronous text-based computer mediated conferencing as a pedagogic tool in interprofessional learning for nurses in higher education. Available research studies on asynchronous text-based interprofessional learning at post-registration level based on either users’ perspectives or the conference communication provided useful information on students’ learning experience. This paper first discusses the theoretical assumptions of asynchronous text-based interprofessional learning. The purpose is to highlight the way student online learning experience might be created. Based on this knowledge, the paper goes on to describe and discuss the research methodologies and methods, with less emphasis on the kind of results that have been obtained in the field of study about asynchronous text-based interprofessional online learning within nursing education at post-registration level. Methods: The literature search focuses on papers which investigate student perspectives on the experience on effectiveness of asynchronous text-based interprofessional online learning. Criteria for inclusion were papers about the use of computer mediated conferencing at post-registration level for interprofessional online learning by nurses and healthcare professionals allied to health. Results: Reviewing the body of research about student perspectives on post-registration students’ experience with interprofessional online learning revealed that asynchronous text-based conferencing at post-registration healthcare programmes which involved nurses had received insufficient research attention in nurse, health and social education research literature. Only seven papers were available for review. In addition, the research methods and approaches employed have not been consistent with the pedagogic principles and ideas associated with principles of collaborative learning through communication based on constructivism. Conclusion: Research studies to inform strategies for asynchronous text-based interprofessional online learning in post- registration nurse education might be limiting. There is a need for more research, especially those which commensurate with the constructivist approach in learning. Certainly, research using discourse analysis which focuses on the discursive aspect and communication needs to be conducted to evaluate asynchronous text-based interprofessional online learning