A facilitator's reflection on the democratizing potential of emancipatory practice development

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Development
• Nursing Research

Background:

• Emancipatory practice development (ePD) is a practitioner-led research methodology.
• It is underpinned by the critical paradigm and focuses on workplace transformation through facilitation and learning.
• ePD aims to embed safe, person-centred learning cultures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically reflect on a year-long ePD study in an acute care hospital ward.
• To explore challenges in implementing practice change within complex systems.
• To analyze how ePD enacts and sustains change, strengthening safety cultures.

Main Methods:

• A year-long emancipatory practice development (ePD) study in an acute care hospital ward.
• Facilitation and workplace learning within the local context of practice issues.
• Critical reflection on challenges, collaborations, and leadership for sustaining learning cultures.

Main Results:

• ePD strengthened safety cultures by challenging antidemocratic practices through communicative action.
• Opened communicative spaces enabled staff deliberation, consensus, and raised awareness.
• Sustainability of practice change was fostered by co-operative democracies and frontline team enablement.

Conclusions:

• Emancipatory practice development (ePD) generates staff agency at the frontline.
• The democratizing potential of ePD strengthens safety cultures and workplace transformation.
• ePD is effective in enacting and sustaining change within complex healthcare systems.