Exploring the learning environment through an organizational theory lens: A case study from nursing education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Organizational Theory
• Healthcare Learning Environments

Background:

• Increasing calls for nursing curriculum review to meet evolving healthcare demands.
• Nursing education institutions globally are renewing curricula to prepare graduates for dynamic environments.
• The study focuses on the private healthcare sector as a critical learning context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the private healthcare context as a learning environment.
• To apply an organizational theory lens to understand this context.
• To inform and enhance nursing curriculum development and implementation.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative case study within an interpretivist paradigm.
• Data collected via observations, focus groups, and interviews (2018-2020).
• Participants included nursing educators and clinical site managers in South Africa.

Main Results:

• Identified the learning environment as a site of tension.
• Revealed the environment as a site of cultural layering.
• Highlighted the environment as a site of role complexity and hierarchy.

Conclusions:

• Nursing education offers dynamic learning experiences influenced by organizational dynamics.
• An organizational theory perspective illuminates challenges and opportunities in clinical learning.
• Curriculum developers should leverage these insights to optimize learning experiences and graduate competence.