Applying Learning Principles Within Parent Education: Exploring Nurses' Practice and Parents' Experiences.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Adult Learning Theory
• Health Communication

Background:

• Nurses employ Learning Principles (LPs) to enhance parental knowledge and skills for child care.
• The application of LPs in nursing parent-education is not well-documented, nor are parents' learning experiences.
• Understanding nurses' perceptions and use of LPs is crucial for effective parent education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and describe nurses' perceptions and application of Learning Principles (LPs) in parent-education.
• To investigate parents' learning experiences within nurse-led parent-education interactions.
• To identify how LPs influence parent engagement, confidence, and decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Action research design involving 25 nurses and 18 parents in Adelaide, Australia.
• Data collection through observations and semi-structured interviews from June to December 2017.
• Thematic analysis of collected data to identify key themes related to LPs and learning experiences.

Main Results:

• Nurses' use of LPs was often tacit, making explicit description challenging.
• Three overarching themes emerged: collaborative relationships, deepening learning insights, and the learning environment.
• Metacognition, stimulated by member-checking, helped nurses recognize their tacit LPs and their impact on parents.

Conclusions:

• Nurses apply LPs in practice, but their knowledge is largely subconscious.
• Developing nurses' awareness of LPs through metacognition can enhance their practice.
• Optimizing LP use is essential given healthcare constraints, potentially improving parent learning and adherence to recommendations.