Conceptualizing the learning organization in nursing homes: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Nursing home care faces challenges due to an aging population and workforce shortages.
• The focus in care has shifted from quality of care to quality of life.
• The learning organization (LO) concept is explored as a new quality paradigm for nursing homes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the efficacy and operationalization of the learning organization concept in nursing homes.
• To identify the key elements of a learning organization relevant to the nursing home setting.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review using Arksey and O'Malley's framework was conducted.
• Literature searches were performed across multiple databases (Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, etc.).
• Included studies focused on learning organizations or organizational learning (OL) in nursing homes.

Main Results:

• 14 articles were included, with most referencing Senge or Watkins and Marsick.
• Six key elements of learning organizations in nursing homes were identified: individual and collective learning, individual and interpersonal abilities, adaptive culture, transformational leadership, knowledge development, and systems thinking.
• Organizational performance improvement is the primary aim, but few studies operationalize the full scope of the LO concept.

Conclusions:

• The learning organization concept shows promise for improving nursing home adaptation and performance.
• Current research is limited, with a need for consistent operationalization methods.
• Future research should focus on the interconnectedness of the six key elements, with systems thinking as a foundation.