Usability of a virtual community of practice for workforce development of clinical supervisors

Workplaces are being transformed by technological change. There is great potential for innovation at educational institutions and in the workplace. Creative and effective use of information communication technology in learning and teaching and for continuing professional development of health professionals is imperative. To determine the usability of a virtual community of practice for clinical supervisors, an online survey was administered prior to attendance at professional development workshops. Clinical supervisors were targeted because they were senior nurse leaders and could promote and model the use of the virtual network within their organisations. Survey findings indicated that a community of practice would be useful for communication about clinical supervision and obtaining information from the University. However, respondents were less certain they would share information by actively contributing to the public mobile learning resources. This study indicates there is considerable potential to build capacity of healthcare professionals through workforce development. Support for clinical supervisors to understand and use mobile learning strategies for continuing professional development and promote life-long learning can assist with realising the vision of the National Workforce Development Strategy.