Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 32–37

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Nurse Education in Practice

journal homepage: www.elsevier .com/nepr

Promoting learning transfer in post registration education: A collaborative approach

Frances L. Finn *, Sue A. Fensom 1, Patricia Chesser-Smyth 2

Waterford Institute of Technology, Cork Road, Waterford, Ireland

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:Accepted 16 March 2009

Keywords:Practice based learningEnquiry based learningLearning transfer

1471-5953/$ - see front matter � 2009 Elsevier Ltd. Adoi:10.1016/j.nepr.2009.03.005

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +353 51 845550.E-mail addresses: ffinn@wit.ie (F.L. Finn), sfen

pchesser-smyth@wit.ie (P. Chesser-Smyth).1 Tel.: +353 51 302803.2 Tel.: +353 51 845560.

s u m m a r y

Pre-registration nurse education in Ireland became a four year undergraduate honors degree programmein 2002 (Government of Ireland, 2000. The Nursing Education Forum Report. Dublin, Dublin StationaryOffice.). Consequently, the Irish Government invested significant resources in post registration nursingeducation in order to align certificate and diploma trained nurses with the qualification levels of newgraduates. However, a general concern amongst academic and clinical staff in the South East of Irelandwas that there was limited impact of this initiative on practice. These concerns were addressed througha collaborative approach to the development and implementation of a new part-time post registrationdegree that incorporated an enquiry and practice based learning philosophy. The principles of learningtransfer (Ford, K., 1994. Defining transfer of learning the meaning is in the answers. Adult Learning 5(4), p. 2214.) underpinned the curriculum development and implementation process with the goal ofreducing the theory practice gap. This paper reports on all four stages of the curriculum development pro-cess: exploration, design, implementation and evaluation (Quinn, F.M., 2002. Principles and Practices ofNurse Education, fourth ed. Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham), and the subsequent impact of learning transferon practice development. Eclectic approaches of quantitative and qualitative data collection techniqueswere utilised in the evaluation. The evaluation of this project to date supports our view that this practicebased enquiry curriculum promotes the transfer of learning in the application of knowledge to practice,impacting both student and service development.

� 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Pre-registration nurse education in Ireland became a four yearundergraduate honors degree programme in 2002 (Governmentof Ireland, 2000). Consequently, the Irish Government invested sig-nificant resources in post registration nursing education in order toalign certificate and diploma trained nurses with the qualificationlevels of new graduates. A ‘free fees initiative’ was established bythe Department of Health and Children (2001) that enabled a Reg-istered Nurse or Midwife to undertake a part-time post registrationdegree programme. However, a general concern amongst academicand clinical staff in the South East of Ireland was that there waslimited impact of this initiative on practice. Academic staff re-ported a lack of student engagement with the curriculum, limitedability to relate theory to practice and a decrease in student atten-dance (Fig. 1). Nurses and midwives engaging in this part-timepost registration degree programme demonstrated limited transfer

ll rights reserved.

som@wit.ie (S.A. Fensom),

of learning to clinical practice. This anecdotal view was consistentwith a UK based impact study of part-time post registration de-grees on practice which found that students were not able to givespecific examples of how their clinical practice had changed (Hard-wick and Jordan, 2002). These concerns were addressed through acollaborative approach to the development and implementation ofa new part-time post registration degree that incorporated an en-quiry and practice based learning philosophy.

Quinn’s (2002) notion of curriculum development is broadand all encompassing from initial conception through to moni-toring and review. Based on this model, a curriculum develop-ment team was set up. This consisted of nurse academics andclinical practitioners, to ensure shared ownership and commit-ment. The main participants involved were the Nursing Educa-tionalists, Directors of Nursing, Clinical Supervisors, StudentRepresentatives, and members of the Nursing and MidwiferyPlanning Development Unit. The principles of learning transfer(Ford, 1994) underpinned the curriculum development andimplementation process with the goal of reducing the theorypractice gap. This paper reports on all four stages of the curric-ulum development process: exploration, design, implementationand evaluation, and the subsequent impact of learning transferon practice development.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

wk1

wk2

wk3

wk4

wk5

wk6

wk7

wk8

wk9

wk10

wk11

wk12

am pm

Fig. 1. Student attendance semester one B.Sc. in nursing.

F.L. Finn et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 32–37 33

Exploration

The exploratory phase of curriculum development involvesascertaining need for the programme, considering costs of develop-ment and thoroughly exploring new curriculum ideas (Quinn,2002). The need for a more effective curriculum that promotedlearning transfer was agreed between all stakeholders. Howeverour first step was to clarify what the problems were with the oldcurriculum and explore the possible reasons behind them. Evi-dence was collated from student evaluations of the programme,course board review meetings and discussions with clinical man-agers. Limited application of theory to practice, lack of studentengagement with the curriculum and poor attendance that re-sulted in little impact in clinical practice, were all areas of concernsurrounding the current programme.

The curriculum consisted of mandatory modules such as thebiomedical and psychosocial sciences that did not adequately facil-itate the integration of education and clinical practice. This frag-mentation led to a prescribed learning that was not alwayscompatible with the students’ needs or professional experience(Hargreaves, 1996). As lecturers we found it challenging to relatetheory to the contextual reality of practice within the structureof the curriculum as several of the mandatory modules had littleperceived relevance to some of the nurses.

Within the classroom it became evident that many studentswere finding it difficult to relate the theory to practice and oftendemonstrated a lack of interest as a result of this. Comments suchas ‘what has this got to do with real nursing?’ or ‘we don’t do this inpractice’ were indicative of their frustration. The lack of applicationof theory to practice was also evident in their written assignments.Students were scoring minimal marks in the ‘integration of theoryto practice’ section within the marking criteria. It became evidentthat some students were not finding the learning experience anenjoyable one. Comments often voiced by students such as ‘just tellus what we need to know to pass’ indicated that the primary focus oflearning was for the purpose of passing the assessment.

Upon reviewing the curriculum and reflecting on our experi-ences we concluded that some of the syllabus was too theoreticaland lacked a contextual focus. The curriculum needed to be revisedin relation to educational philosophy and content, to reflect the tri-partite system of education, practice and supervisory support forthe student. It was agreed that the curriculum content should bebased on the notion of ‘worthwhileness’ in that it embraces keyconcepts, procedures and criteria pertaining to the art and scienceof nursing and is not just focused on attaining behavioral objec-tives (Quinn, 2002). In addition it should be student centered uti-lizing motivational teaching and learning strategies. A practicebased learning and enquiry based learning philosophy was agreed.

Curriculum design

The second stage of the curriculum development process fo-cuses on the structure, content and process (Quinn, 2002). This

was designed according to the key principles of learning transfer,practice based learning and enquiry based learning (EBL).

Principles of learning transfer

Transfer of learning has been defined as ‘the notion that adultsuse the knowledge and skills gained through adult education in theappropriate setting’ (Ford, 1994, p. 22). Instructional design andeffective communication are key factors that affect transfer (Chengand Ho, 2001). The involvement of the three key stakeholders (theeducator, the learner and the manager/organisation) throughoutthe educational process is of paramount importance in promotingtransfer (Rossett, 1997). Ongoing communication between the stu-dent, educator and manager is a vital component of successfulknowledge and skill transfer (Rossett, 1997). Therefore collabora-tive relationships between relevant parties must be facilitatedwithin the structures of a curriculum such as the tripartite systemof student support (Hargreaves, 1996) and regular meetings be-tween educators and service. These factors were addressed withinthe curriculum design to ensure communication processes wereput in place that clearly supported the principles of learningtransfer.

Practice based learning and enquiry based learning

Practice based learning and EBL complement one another as acurriculum philosophy as both are linked to real situations thatpromote learning. Flanagan (2000) describes practice based learn-ing as the bringing together of self-knowledge, expertise in prac-tice and formal knowledge. Practice based learning benefits thestudent and the employer as it enables practice developmentthrough the integration of theory with practice (Hargreaves,1996) and promotes learning transfer through the collaborativepartnerships required between service and education. EBL involvesthe investigation of real world problems that are experienced inpractice; the student uses an array of resources to understandand perhaps refine practice (Price, 2003). Students learn a broaderrange of topics, develop advanced literature searching skills andthe ability to analyze and synthesise information in both indepen-dent and cooperative learning from this approach (Yuan et al.,2008; Palmer, 2002). A practice and enquiry based curriculumcan bridge the gap between practice and education leading to amore meaningful experience for both the student and employer.

Clinical practice support and development

Support from clinical supervisors and managers are vital to en-able knowledge and skill transfer to practice (Gregoire et al., 1998),and promote practice development. A key element of this practicebased enquiry curriculum is the tripartite system of student sup-port, which includes a clinical supervisor, the student’s managerand an academic supervisor (Hargreaves, 1996). Prior to accep-tance on this programme, students are required to obtain writtenconfirmation of support from a selected clinical supervisor andtheir line manager. The primary role of the clinical supervisor (anexperienced, qualified and willing colleague chosen by the student)is to assist the student in identifying their learning needs relativeto their practice area and course learning outcomes. The line man-ager plays a crucial role in facilitating college release for the stu-dent and supporting the exploration and implementation ofpractice based projects, where as the academic supervisor providesacademic and professional support. All three parties through thistripartite collaborative relationship support the student in theirdevelopment throughout the duration of the course, a factor Ros-sett (1997) argues as being essential in promoting learningtransfer.

Table 1B.Sc. (Hons) in nursing studies.

Level 7 modules Level 8 modules

Core modules (15 credits)� Study skills

� Portfolio development

� The professional role of the nurse

� Exploring clinical practice

Core modules (10 Credits)� Professional values and caring

� Communication in practice

� Research for practice

� Clinical decision making

� Leading in nursing practiceElective modules (5 credits)

� Preceptorship

� Health promotion i

34 F.L. Finn et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 32–37

Curriculum implementation

The new post registration Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degreewas implemented in September 2005 with 99 students. Accessedat Level 7, (Diploma), or Level 8, (B.Sc. Hons Degree), the pro-gramme consists of nine modules (Table 1) equating to a total of120 credits (NQAI, 2003). Teaching learning methodologies includea combination of lecturer-facilitated classes and student enquirysessions on alternate weeks. Two main summative assessmentmethods are utilized that support the teaching/learning strategiesand promote learning transfer. These include the enquiry grouppresentation and the practice based project report. The enquirygroup presentation constitutes the culmination of students workfollowing engagement with specific ‘enquiry problems’ relative tothe module learning outcomes.

Problems range from exploration of case scenarios to specificpractice issues that need to be addressed, enabling students toidentify with them. Following their presentation each group is re-quired to facilitate class discussion relating to the issues ad-dressed through enquiry. Other modules require students toengage in a project relative to developing their practice and to re-port on the implementation process and evaluation of the out-come. Through the undertaking of project based work resultingin actual practice development the students are able to utilizetheir education to improve their practice. Level 8 modules ‘Re-search for Practice’ and ‘Leading in Clinical Practice’ utilize thisapproach of promoting learning through student assessmentsthat impact upon practice. Within the research module studentsare required to conduct a literature review on an element ofnursing practice that requires development then make recom-mendations for practice. Following this, the leadership modulerequires students to lead the implementation of the best practiceinitiative identified in the literature review and evaluate theprocess.

Students are required to meet with their managers andclinical supervisors regularly to discuss practice developmentneeds and seek approval for proposed projects. To ensureprojects are ‘real’ and not a theoretical exercise, managers andclinical supervisors are required to sign their student’s projectlog which outlines specific project steps undertaken by the stu-dent, thus providing another link between education and prac-tice. Ongoing communication between the clinical andacademic settings is essential to ensure successful implementa-tion of the practice based enquiry curriculum. Meetings throughout the semester between the lecturers and clinical supervisors/managers provide an opportunity for clarification of issues anddiscussion of student progress enabling concerns to be high-lighted and addressed.

Evaluation

Programme evaluation is an ongoing process throughout coursedelivery in higher education (Quinn, 2002) with the goal of qualityassurance. This programme evaluation was undertaken on comple-tion of the first year of the programme to ascertain if the new cur-riculum was successful in promoting learning transfer through theapplication of knowledge to practice. Ethical principles were ad-hered to throughout the collection and reporting of data includingconfidentiality, informed consent and anonymity. Students, clinicalpartners and academic colleagues agreed that their commentscould be presented within this evaluation. Eclectic approaches ofquantitative and qualitative data collection techniques were uti-lised, including: student questionnaires, observations of enquirybased learning presentations, and clinical supervisors and manag-ers’ feedback.

The student questionnaire consisted of 25 questions to ascer-tain the student’s response to the programme and was adminis-tered at completion of the first semester. The sample consisted of99 students with a response rate of 75%. Each module was evalu-ated independently in addition to the enquiry based learning activ-ities and the level of perceived support the student received frompractice and academic settings. Students were asked to rate theirlevel of agreement with statements using a five point Likert scale(strongly agree = 5, agree = 4, neutral = 3, disagree = 2, strongly dis-agree = 1). In addition, open-ended questions were used to invitestudents’ comments on any positive or negative element of thecourse.

Further qualitative data was sought through observation andverbal feedback. The course lecturers conducted observations andreflections on the enquiry based learning presentation process. Inaddition meetings were held throughout the region between thecourse lecturers, clinical supervisors, and clinical nurse managersat ten clinical sites within the South East of Ireland. The purposewas to obtain verbal feedback regarding the impact of the new cur-riculum and its effect on promoting learning transfer to clinicalpractice. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation findings are pre-sented below.

Quantitative findings

The quantitative data from the student questionnaire wasanalysed using SPSS 15.0 Frequencies, mean (M) and standarddeviation (S.D.) results are presented in Table 2. Overall therewas a positive student response to EBL. The majority of respon-dents, 87%, indicated (strongly agreed/agreed) that learningthrough the enquiry group work had been beneficial (M 4.39S.D. 1.00). Seventy seven percent of respondents stronglyagreed/agreed that the in-class discussions were beneficial (M3.98, S.D. 0.97). Ninety one percent of respondents agreed thatthey were able to link their learning to practice, 27% stronglyagreed with this statement and only four percent disagreed (M.4.21, S.D. 0.78).

In relation to the level of support the student felt they re-ceived, responses to statements on the questionnaire were morevaried (Table 2). Clinical supervisor support was rated mostly po-sitive (65%) however some respondents disagreed with the state-ment that the clinical supervisor supported their learning (13%),and 19% remained neutral (M 3.79 S.D 1.1). Similar findings werenoted in response to support from the clinical manager. Themajority of respondents (79%) were satisfied (agreed/stronglyagreed) with the support received form their academic supervisor(M. 4.03, S.D. 0.96). In relation to the statement that support hadenabled them to apply theory to practice 76% agreed/stronglyagreed with this, 13% remained neutral and 7% disagreed (M4.02, S.D. 0.96).

Table 2Student responses to questionnaire.

Scale Strongly agree (%) Agree (%) Neutral (%) Disagree (%) Strongly disagree (%) Mean S.D. NStatement 5 4 3 2 1

Learning through the enquiry group work has been beneficial 63 24 5 5 3 4.39 1.00 99The enquiry group has not facilitated my learning 3 11 4 33 48 1.87 1.11 99The enquiry group has guided my self directed learning 34 51 5 5 5 4.05 1.02 99In-class discussions have been most beneficial 32 45 15 5 3 3.98 0.97 99In-class group exercises have not been beneficial 5 9 16 41 27 2.22 1.11 98I am able to link my learning to practice 36 55 4 4 1 4.21 0.78 99My clinical supervisor has supported my learning 29 36 19 9 4 3.79 1.10 97My manager has not supported my learning 7 12 23 28 25 2.45 1.21 95My academic advisor has supported my learning 32 47 9 4 4 4.03 0.96 96Support has enabled me apply theory to practice 32 44 13 4 3 4.02 0.96 96

F.L. Finn et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 32–37 35

Qualitative findings

Qualitative findings from the student questionnaire were ana-lysed using the Colazzi Framework (Colaizzi, 1978). Two mainthemes emerged: enquiry based learning groups and studentsupport.

Many positive aspects of enquiry based learning were identifiedby students as evidence in the following comments:

‘‘enquiry groups are excellent for sharing thoughts and ideas”, and‘‘helped me to be a little more assertive and build up my selfconfidence”.

One student identified the benefits of working in an enquirygroup with her co-workers:

‘‘I found working with them as a study group beneficial as weexplored different ideas in a constructive manner”.

Others favoured the enquiry group learning over traditionalmethods:

‘‘I learned more from the enquiry group, working through variousthemes, than the lectures”.

However, some suggestions for improvement in enquiry-basedlearning identified the need for greater clarity and explanation atthe onset: One student requested:

‘‘more initial direction from lecturers as there was some confusioninto the purpose (of the enquiry based learning)”.

Many students alluded to the benefit and enjoyment of supportfrom peers in relation to group learning that is illustrated in thefollowing comments:

‘‘I enjoyed working together as a group, good support and goodfun” and ‘‘I learnt so much from other nurses from different areasof practice and found that the same problem can be approachedfrom many different angles”

Students also commented on the support they received fromclinical supervisors and nurse managers. The majority being posi-tive, such as:

‘‘My clinical supervisor has been an excellent support for me andmy manager has been a great encouragement”.

One student commented directly on the benefits of the tripar-tite relationship in reducing the theory practice gap:

‘‘With the support of my academic advisor and clinical supervisor Ifeel more confident in applying theory to practice”.

However some students were critical of the lack of support theyreceived from their clinical area as demonstrated in the followingcomments:

‘‘My ward manager did not help or acknowledge that I was study-ing” and ‘‘I found my supervisor inadequate and would considerfinding someone new next time’’,

This is indicative of barriers to learning transfer that reiteratethe need to address challenges through continuing collaborationbetween education and practice (Gregoire et al., 1998).

Observations and reflections of EBL

� Observations and reflections by the course lecturers were con-ducted on the EBL presentation process. There were a total ofeight groups, consisting of 5–6 students in each. The lecturersfound that for most groups student engagement was high, withshared participation that demonstrated a strong group dynamic.Presentations were of a good standard that provided evidence ofcollective learning and critical thinking through exemplars frompractice. It was evident that they had used the literature toexplore the issues whilst reflecting on the diverse practice expe-riences of the group.

� Although most aspects of this learning and assessment strategywere positive, it was evident that some groups had difficulty inunderstanding the concept of EBL. Two groups demonstratedonly superficial learning with limited application to practice.We also noted that one group gave individual presentations thatdid not form a cohesive group presentation suggesting that theyhad worked independently on the problem.

Feedback from clinical supervisors and nurse managers

The responses from the clinical supervisors and nurse managerswere all positive. The impact of this new curriculum on learningtransfer to practice was clearly identified by both clinical managersand supervisors in the following comments:

‘‘The course has really helped students to develop and has a directimpact on practice”.

‘‘They (the students) are really applying what they are learning totheir practice. There is a much better link to actual practice”.

More importantly they reported that students were actively en-gaged in developing practice. A greater link between education andpractice became evident and is demonstrated in the followingcomments:

‘‘The two students in our area have developed a new policy on pres-sure area care for their project, this is much better than the previ-ous course where they just had to write an essay”.

‘‘From a management perspective it means students can reallymake a difference in developing practice. My students are looking

36 F.L. Finn et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 32–37

at new guidelines in pain management assessment which we reallyneeded”.

The feedback from clinical supervisors and clinical managers al-luded to the benefits of practice based learning as a means to re-duce the theory practice gap and promote the transfer of learning.

Discussion

Students benefit in many ways from EBL (Palmer, 2002). Itmotivates the student in the transfer of knowledge towards prac-tice development (Price, 2003) and adds fun to the learning expe-rience (Barrett et al., 2005). These findings are reiterated in thisevaluation. Data from the student questionnaire and lecturerobservations clearly highlight the benefits of EBL. Student com-ments concerning EBL supported the findings from the quantitativedata within the questionnaire, as did observations of the enquirygroup presentations. Students were motivated through enquirygroup work and found this approach to learning beneficial in link-ing learning to practice. This evaluation is consistent with Kirwanand Adams (in press) study who advocate that EBL influences nurs-ing practice development by encouraging team work and promot-ing critical thinking.

Although most findings in this study refer to the benefits of EBL,some students experienced difficulties understanding the EBL pro-cess. Other barriers identified were time constraints and the prac-ticalities of arranging group meetings, a finding consistent withAshby et al. (2006). There is limited empirical data on evaluationof the processes of EBL and its effectiveness (Biley and Smith,1999), a gap that remains evident today. Students need specificguidelines when engaging in EBL for the first time; adequate infor-mation and orientation is vital. Lecturers need to be trained tofacilitate EBL rather than relying on traditional didactic methods(Johnson and Finucane, 2000; Gilkison, 2003). Many students areused to being passive learners and in order to engage in a differentapproach they need the skills and confidence to do so. If an enquiryscenario (problem) is too complicated or lengthy this can result instudents trying to tackle too many issues at a superficial level andmerely developing descriptive knowledge as oppose to exploringtopics in depth.

Raines (2006) reiterate in their findings that practice basedlearning and practice development require a tripartite relationshipestablished through supporting structures for students, supervi-sors, managers and the institution. We can concur with these find-ings as we found that regular meetings with clinical supervisors,clinical managers and academic supervisors facilitated improvedcommunication between the two organisations. The relationshipwith the manager/supervisor is important in ensuring transfer ofknowledge and skills to practice (Gregoire et al., 1998, Cheng andHo, 2001). This can only be effective through the development ofa learning culture within the practice area as indicated by Wilsonet al. (2006). A much higher involvement of the clinical area andlink with the academic setting was evident as a result of the newcurriculum.

Conclusion and recommendations

The purpose of post registration nursing education should be toadvance individual and organisational practice for the benefit ofthe service user. It should address the individual needs of the stu-dent while supporting practice development in service. The twoway relationship between education and practice is vital in meet-ing this goal and sustaining outcomes of educational programmes.In order for learning to be meaningful, students must be given theopportunity and context to apply theory to practice in their area ofwork (Price, 2003). Practical application and contextual learning is

of paramount importance in the drive to reduce the theory practicegap. The evaluation of this project to date supports our view thatthis practice based enquiry curriculum promotes the transfer oflearning in the application of knowledge to practice, impactingboth student and service development.

There are a number of key factors that must be considered forsuccessful implementation of a practice based enquiry curriculum.It is essential that students understand the concept and process ofpractice based learning and EBL in order to achieve the maximumbenefit from this approach. Programme inductions should ade-quately address this.

Enquiry problems must be realistic to address in the time frameallocated and written to promote critical and analytical thinking inthe student. They should reflect real issues and concerns in nursingpractice to promote student interest and engagement with the en-quiry based process.

Project based assessments should be designed that promotelearning transfer and result in actual practice development activi-ties that impact on service. To ensure appropriate and realistic pro-jects are identified and agreed, the student must negotiate practicedevelopment topics with managers, clinical supervisors and aca-demic supervisors within the tripartite support system. Communi-cation and collaboration between service and academia mustcontinually be promoted towards successful implementation ofthe curriculum and transfer of learning to practice.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the valued support andcontribution of their partners in clinical practice in the develop-ment, implementation and evaluation of this curriculum: the cur-riculum development team, nurse managers and clinicalsupervisors in the South East of Ireland. They would also like tothank the course participants for their contribution to the evalua-tion of the programme. In addition they wish to thank Dr. JohnWells, Head of the Department of Nursing at Waterford Instituteof Technology for his support and guidance through out thisproject.

References

Ashby, J., Hubbert, V., Cottrel-Gibbins, L., Cox, K., Digan, J., Lewis, K., Langmack, G.,Matiti, M., McCormack, D., Roberts, L., Taylor, D., Thom, N., Wiggs, M., Wilson, L.,2006. The enquiry based learning experience: an evaluation project. NurseEducation in Practice 6, 22–30.

Barrett, T., Mac Labhrainn, I., Fallon, H. (Eds.), 2005. Handbook of Enquiry andProblem Based Learning Irish Case Studies and International Perspectives.<http://www.aishe.org/readings/2005-2/contents.html>.

Biley, F., Smith, K., 1999. Following the forsaken: a procedural description ofproblem based learning program in a school of nursing studies. Nursing andHealth Sciences 1 (2), 93–102.

Cheng, E.W.L., Ho, D.C.K., 2001. A review of transfer of training studies in the pastdecade. Personnel Review 30 (1), 102–118.

Colaizzi, P., 1978. Psychological research as the phenomenologist views it. In: Valle,R., Kings, M. (Eds.), Existential Phenomenological Alternative for Psychology.New York, Oxford University Press.

Department of Health, 2001. Speech by Mr Micheál Martin TD at Launch of Pre-Registration Nursing Degree Programme <http://www.dohc.ie/press/speeches/2001/20011101a.html> (accessed 15.12.08).

Flanagan, J., 2000. Work based learning as a means of developing and assessingnursing competence. Journal of Clinical Nursing 9 (3), 360–368.

Ford, K., 1994. Defining transfer of learning the meaning is in the answers. AdultLearning 5 (4), 2214.

Gilkison, A., 2003. Techniques used by expert and non expert tutors to facilitateproblem based learning tutorials in an undergraduate medical curriculum.Medical Education 37 (1), 6–14.

Government of Ireland, 2000. The Nursing Education Forum Report. Dublin, DublinStationary Office.

Gregoire, T., Propp, J., Poertner, J., 1998. The supervisor’s role in the transfer oftraining. Administration in Social Work 22 (1), 192–198.

Hardwick, S., Jordan, S., 2002. The impact of part-time post registration degrees onpractice. Journal of Advanced Nursing 38 (5), 524–535.

Hargreaves, J., 1996. Credit where credit’s due – work based learning in professionalpractice. Journal of Clinical Nursing 5 (3), 165–169.

F.L. Finn et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 32–37 37

Johnson, S., Finucane, P., 2000. The emergence of problem based learning in medicaleducation. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 6 (3), 281–291.

Kirwan, A., Adams, J., in press. Students views of enquiry based learning in acontinuing professional development module. Nurse Education Today.

National Qualification Authority Ireland, 2003. National Framework ofQualifications: Determinations for the Outline of National Framework ofQualifications. NQAI Publishers, Dublin.

Palmer, S., 2002. Enquiry based learning can maximize a students potential.Psychology Learning and Teaching 2 (2), 82–86.

Price, B., 2003. Studying Nursing Using Problem Based and Enquiry Based Learning.Palgrave McMillan, Hampshire.

Quinn, F.M., 2002. Principles and Practices of Nurse Education, fourth ed. NelsonThornes, Cheltenham.

Raines, D., 2006. Can-care: an innovative model of practice based learning.International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship 3 (1), 1–17.

Rossett, A., 1997. That was a great class but.... Training and Development, 19–26.Wilson, V., McCormack, B., Ives, G., 2006. Regenerating the ‘self’ in learning;

developing a culture of supporting learning in practice. Learning in Health andSocial Care 5 (2), 90–105.

Yuan, H., Williams, B., Fan, L., 2008. A systemic review of selected evidence ondeveloping nursing students’ critical thinking through problem based learning.Nurse Education Today 28 (6), 657–663.