What Is Lifelong Learning?
It is important to try to define lifelong learning. A
conference on lifelong learning in medicine and nursing
describes lifelong learning by identifying its key
competencies—“an understanding of evidence-based
healthcare and critical appraisal, familiarity with informatics
and literature search and retrieval strategies, practice-based
learning and improvement methods, self-reflection and
assessment, and other skill sets related to knowledge
management.” (Macy Foundation, 2010).
While sources differ on whether it includes continuing
professional development or is just self-motived
personal learning, there is little argument about its
goal—“to enable health professionals to keep pace with
the rapid development of evidence-based information”
(ACICBL, 2011). An interest in lifelong learning is
expected as a natural characteristic of anyone working
in healthcare; it “is considered to be an element of
professionalism for healthcare professionals” (Novak et
al., 2014). Also, at its heart, “lifelong learning involves
the ability to resolve issues through inquiry, resource
identification, and independent/continual assessment of
one’s own learning needs” (ACICBL, 2011).
Why Lifelong Learning is Important?
Lifelong learning’s importance is underscored when we
examine the nature of professional healthcare learning,
which has become “more challenging than ever…
because of the plethora of published literature and
electronic information that exists, combined with the
fact that new knowledge is emerging at an accelerating
pace. Upon entering practice, the health care
professional experiences increased demands that
reduce the time available for learning and assessment,
and over time the professional’s knowledge of emerging
evidence-based practice and professional competence
may deteriorate” (ACICBL, 2011).
Drivers of Lifelong Learning
To cultivate lifelong learning, you have to understand what
already motivates the nurses who are driven to pursue it.
Johns Hopkins Nursing shares that some of the impetus
comes from patients and their families, who are “no longer
quiescent [and] now demand answers from the nurses who
provide their care” (Edelson, 2012). People are more likely
than ever to educate themselves about their healthcare
conditions and treatments and expect their care
professionals to know even more in order to help them.
Another motivator can be the healthcare institutions
themselves, many of whom are pushing “for their nurses
to go back for at least a bachelor’s degree, and the
pressure has only increased since The Future of Nursing
recommended that 80 percent of all nurses have a
bachelor’s degree by 2020” (Edelson, 2012). It doesn’t hurt
that lifelong learning encourages clinicians to stay engaged
in their jobs and can lead to job shifting within an
organization. Retention of employees is yet another reason
for healthcare organizations to encourage lifelong learning.
Holding on to employees has never been as important as
it is now in healthcare—turnover costs are something no
one in healthcare can afford.
Healthcare executives are definitely knowledgeable
about the importance of lifelong learning, both for
themselves and the staff at their organizations. Lifelong
learning is a vital component of the commitment to be
an effective leader, and as Edward Lamb, Chairman of
the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
puts it, “To engage fully in professional and leadership
development activities, healthcare executives should
commit to participating in educational offerings that
develop a balance of healthcare management
competencies and an evolving set of people skills”
(Lamb, 2016). An ACHE-sponsored survey of
healthcare CEOs showed that they “mostly value
continuing education to understand changes (81%),
keep themselves abreast of current trends (74%), to
solve problems (62%), and to learn about new
technology (60%)” (Walston and Khaliq, 2010).
HealthStream.com/contact • 800.521.0574 •
5