Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
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A Transformative Learning Approach: Returning to Nursing
Practice (RTNP) in Ireland
Rodge Byrne
RGN, RPN, Fet cert, Dip N London RCNT, RNT ENB 998, Specialist
practitioner in older adult care ENB 298, BSc (Hons) Health Sciences
Specialist Coordinator
Kerry Centre of Nurse Education
Kerry Hospital
Tralee
Co Kerry
+ 353 (0) 66 7184137
rodge.byrne@mailp.hse.ie
Background and context: All pre-registration education
transferred into the higher education institutions between 1999-
2002. As a consequence of this there was a period of readjustemnt
in resource planning. As a counter-active measure to this potential
loss of resource, An Bord Altranais established a programme to
encourage Registered Nurses-Midwives to revitalise their careers
Aim: To demonstrate the learning transitions made by RN’s
returning to nursing practice (RTNP)
Methods: Utilising an interpretive paradigm of critical social theory,
course members identify through personal narratives their
experience as the facilitator of their educational journey. A personal
reflective strategy was the vehicle employed to create a critically
reflective process designed to realign their previous professional
schema. Each RN contributed in a three phase process: A focus
group meeting at the outset of the programme, another at the end
of the six week programme and finally an evaluative meeting three
months after the programme has concluded. Purposive sample of
three cohorts of RTNP (n=28). Qualification: RGN = 22, RSCN = 6.
Demographic profile: Mean age 39, age range 28–51. Gender profile
27 Female and one male
Data collection & interpretation: Established through collecting
field notes taken during the first and subsequent meetings. The
notes were then interpreted through three thematic criteria
established by the Steering committee (expert panel) of the Adult
Higher Education Alliance Conference (www.ahea.org/conferencethemes2006).
Identified as ‘conversations, deliberations and
collaborations’ and percieved to be the mediator for demonstrating
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