Committee work: serendipitous teaching and learning

This study describes what registered nurses incidentally teach and learn while serving on a committee of a professional nursing organization. One hundred fifteen nurses were asked to complete a questionnaire eliciting information about teaching and learning during District committee meetings. A total of 46 questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 40%. Learning was reported more than teaching during committee meetings. The greatest number of situations described by the respondents as "incidental learning" consisted of group discussion and group work on projects. The nurses obtained new information, gained psychomotor skills, and increased their ability to work effectively in groups. The nurses "helped teach," "educated," and "passed on knowledge," but they referred more often to sharing and contributing than teaching. The findings of this study suggest that, indeed, teaching and learning occur during committee meetings, making these gatherings an adult educational method.