Survey: is workplace-based learning meeting the needs of the 21st century neonatal nurse in Australia?

Aim

The aim of this research was to identify the challenges of workplace-based education for neonatal nurses in clinical practice.

Method

Electronic survey of neonatal nurses across Australia.

Results

One-quarter of the neonatal nursing workforce will retire in the next decade. Only one-third of participants are enrolled in further studies. Part-time and casualisation, busy workplaces, carer responsibilities, financial costs and limited organisational support are barriers to education, both in the workplace and through external studies.

Limitations

The small population sample is a prominent limitation to this study. However, the findings reflect other studies exploring workplace-based learning, suggesting the conclusions drawn may be transferable to other contexts.

Conclusions

Conceivably, the next decade will see 27% of the neonatal nursing workforce retiring. There is a need to recruit and educate the future workforce. Current strategies for workplace-based education may not be meeting the learning needs of neonatal nursing staff. More novel approaches to workplace-based education may be required for the 21st century neonatal nurse.