Wall-to-Wall versus Exemplary Counselling - Findings from an action research in Denmark

1. Wall-to-Wall versus Exemplary Counselling - Findings from an action research in Denmark Introduction ‘Learning in psychiatry’ is an unique action research. It is a cooperation between regional psychiatric institutions in Denmark and National Centre of Competence Development, Aarhus University. The action research approach implies that the university and the psychiatric institutions cooperate to undertake the project. Purpose The purpose of the project is to: 1. Develop nurses competence as mentors; 2. Exploit existing learning possibilities in clinical nursing practice; 3. Optimise student nurses clinical learning in hospital units; 4. Develop hospital units as l earning environments; 5. Develop concepts of workplace learning. Methodology Sample 120 nurses who are mentors for student nurses Data generating Focus group interviews with mentors before and after the interventions. The interventions have been 1. to implement a pedagogical tool: the "Windmill of Learning Processes" in students clinical training; 2. Nurses writing logbooks about their practice as mentors; 3. Nurses observing each others practice as mentors. Data analysis Qualitative content analysis. The project steering committee by Associate Professor, PhD Linda Kragelund National Centre of Competence Development, likr@dpu.dk www.ncfk.dk