What is the meaning of Curriculum as it is applicable within
your context?
In my role as manager in an acute health-care setting, I
look at curriculum in several ways.
While I don't teach curriculum per se, I am responsible for leading a
wide variety of staff who come with varying degrees of education and experience
depending, on their specific role, in the health care setting.
One way I view the application of Curriculum and it's
challenges in my area is with regard to my formal and informal communication
with the various staff I serve. I am
responsible for multiple staff who possess a wide range of education; from
staff with grade 12 education and a post-secondary certificate programs (e.g.
care aid, unit clerks) to advanced level Nurse Clinicians who have either a baccalaureate
degree or a Master's degree in addition to specific certifications in their
specialized Geriatric field qualifying them to practice. My staff come with
different life experiences: some moved here from different countries with
different values and cultural support; some staff has the additional challenge
of English as their second language. I think of the importance of being
reflexive and I am constantly challenged to communicate effectively with all
staff. I must provide each of them with
applicable tools and ongoing relevant education at staff meetings or through
memos and emails detailing the ever-changing new policies, mandatory education,
new patient products and ongoing best practice updates. My leadership style, method of communication
and content of my communication must adapt and change in order to be most
effective in meeting the unique needs of each staff member. The mode of communication is very
important. It's important not to be
presumptuous and assume everyone owns a computer or can navigate a computer. It is important to provide communication
through multiple formats; not only through web based modules but also
"demonstrative" and interactive methods.
Another way I view curriculum in my area is in terms of the diversity
of staff in my area, I think that one key aspect of particular importance is to
offer multiple venues for "learning".
The content must be flexible and relevant. In health care, best practice
is to provide "patient -centered care" which means to incorporate the
"who and what" of that patient into planning care. I think that similarly this can be applied to
learners and "person -centered learning" takes into account unique
styles, needs and context (e.g. communicate not just by email - it is important
to provide hard copies and display in areas where staff who aren't as
"computer savvy").
As I was reflecting and digesting the information from the
articles discussed in class (Kieran Egan's 1978 article on What is Curriculum?; J.
Abner Peddiwell's "The Saber-Tooth
Curriculum" article; and Latta
and Kim's 2011 article featuring Narrative Inquiry as a pedagogical medium as
well as the video on learning through real life experiences). What really stood
out for me was the importance and power of the narrative inquiry in Latta and
Kim's article. I am intrigued by its possibility and usefulness as a tool as it
applies to leadership -intentional reflecting as it occurs in the "here
and now". Too often we are
constrained by policy or a "must do" agenda leaving no time to pause
and reflect on practice (leadership or teaching). This is a tension that I often struggle with
in my workplace. I identify with Latta
and Kim’s description of a detached teacher and "survival mode" that only
too often occurs in leadership positions as well; not necessarily because
"the agenda" and "meeting the deadlines" are at the core of
what one values, instead, due to multiple demands and competing priorities, it
becomes the only way to survive. Not
allowing a teacher/leader to infuse creativity into everyday practice may
oppress not only the teacher/leader but also the students/staff.
I also really like
the fundamental principle in the Saber
Tooth Curriculum story. Learning
must be practical yet broad enough to be meaningful and applicable so that it
endures the test of time - curriculum needs to teach how to apply principles
rather than be confined to a specific task.
In my work setting I am always concerned that new nurses know how
important it is know broad principles and how to apply them – to teach "how" to find the answer to
questions and for the learner to understand the principle or concept of learning and its application rather then teaching the answer to every question. It is important to teach (as the Saber Tooth article implies) principles or
concepts that can withstand the test of time.
What are the Saber Tooths’ or the forces and tensions or
even ideologies or overlapping forces affecting me in everyday practice?
I think that one of the Saber Tooths’ in health care are
that sometimes we are too quick to adopt "a new curriculum" and too
quick to "let go" of old curriculum and modes of learning". While budget constraints are a very real issue
in health care, and no doubt health care dollars must be managed responsibly, I
think we must be very cautious and always review and evaluate the impact on
such cuts or reorganizing of programs (e.g. injury prevention and the
importance of fitness and utilizing good body mechanics when transferring
patients or heavy equipment).
Demographics indicate that our workforce is aging, and staff are working
longer and sometimes in physically demanding jobs. Changes to Injury prevention programs were
initiated through reorganization and cutbacks, and a new curriculum emerged in
the more economical 'Safe transfers" web-based learning module. However, not all staff are comfortable
utilizing the computers to engage in web-based learning. The costs associated with staff injury due to
patient or equipment transfer is extremely costly to the health care system not
to mention the impact injuries have on staff personally. The yearly "hands
on" review of correct body mechanics for transferring patients review was eliminated
in the reorganizing of curriculum. Maybe
a "hands on” component in the curriculum might need to be reintroduced
again or at the very least a module at the new employee orientation should
include practical application on how to access your email and pay stub and sign
up and navigate through online web based learning modules.
These readings raise many more questions for me…. I wonder
how and if we are meeting the needs of our new nurses coming into the workplace
fresh from an “idealistic” program?
I wonder how we can ensure that all of our staff are engaged
in learning – learning that has content that is appropriate to their individual
learning style, experiences and capabilities.
I wonder how and if we are meeting the needs of our staff when I think
about “moral distress” in the workplace…
asking them to do more with less such as taking care of patients in sub-optimal
physical space due to congestion issues within the system? Is there programs or curriculum that needs to
be modified to ensure that we address how to effectively deal with moral and
ethical stress and inner conflict?
These first week of classes and the readings we discussed
remind me of how important it is to take time in any work setting to step back
and reflect and reflex on experiences as they are occurring in the “hear and
now”.
