Learning in the ED: chaos, partners and paradoxes

Purpose Most contemporary research in medical education focuses on the undergraduate component conducted within medical schools. The purpose of this paper, however, is to better understand how medical residents and practicing attending physicians learned to practice within the context of the emergen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of workplace learning 2019-09, Vol.31 (6), p.361-376
Main Authors: Hussain, Aman, Rossi, Tony, Rynne, Steven
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allied Health Personnel
Communities of practice
Departments
Educational Environment
Emergency medical care
Emergency Programs
Graduate Students
Informal Education
Interdisciplinary aspects
Knowledge
Learning
Learning Processes
Learning Theories
Medical education
Medical research
Medical Services
Medical Students
Medicine
Nurses
Participation
Patients
Physicians
Professional identity
Professions
Researchers
School environment
Stress Variables
Studies
Work Environment
Workers
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Summary:Purpose Most contemporary research in medical education focuses on the undergraduate component conducted within medical schools. The purpose of this paper, however, is to better understand how medical residents and practicing attending physicians learned to practice within the context of the emergency medicine department (ED) workplace. Design/methodology/approach In all, 18 residents and 15 attending physicians were interviewed about their learning in the ED. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim then analysed using an iterative approach. Emergent themes were shared with the participants to ensure they were an accurate representation of their lived experiences. Findings The first of the three main findings was that the ED learning environment was characterised as “messy” because of the inherently chaotic nature of the workplace. The second finding was that patients and nurses were informal partners in learning. The third main finding was that learning and working in the ED can be difficult, isolating and often lacks continuity. Research limitations/implications The main limitation associated with this research relates to the highly situated and contextually bound nature of this study. Nevertheless, the findings should be generative for others interested in supporting the work and learning of health professionals. Originality/value This study shifts the focus in medical education research from formal undergraduate education to learning in high stress and chaotic workplaces. Accordingly, this work provides valuable insights for others interested in the messy realities of learning in professional practice.
ISSN:1366-5626
1758-7859
DOI:10.1108/JWL-11-2018-0135