Employees in nursing professions can choose from a wide range of part-time further training courses. Those who want to stay on the ball rely on digital learning, which is usually more compatible with the roster. But there is a great danger of letting videos and podcasts pass by without really taking anything with them. If you want to take your career to the next level with blended learning and e-learning, you should consider the following tips:
Tip 1: Combining analogue and digital
„For purely online-based learning, nursing professionals must be able to work in a structured and disciplined manner alongside their job in order to develop learning content for themselves,“ says training expert Simone Stargardt. At her private academy, carriere & more, with locations in the Stuttgart, Mannheim and Würzburg region, around 1,000 participants prepare for IHK examinations every year, such as the examinations for specialist in health and social services. „If you find pure online learning difficult, blended learning is the better choice,“ says Stargardt, who also uses this form of learning at her academy: Classical classroom events at the weekend and e-learning offerings are combined in the courses.
„Motivation and discipline are simply greater in the real world, in the community of a group,“ says the trainer. The fact that a combination of digital and practical education is particularly useful in the care sector is also highlighted in the specialist title „Digital Educational Landscapes“, published by imc, a leading provider of digital continuing education. The book contains a detailed chapter on the advantages of the symbiosis of practical exercise and repetition or preparation via the Internet.
Tip number 2: Use technical possibilities
Those who limit themselves to the display with the tablet, but do not use the camera and sensors for learning, miss the added value. It is important to find modern learning opportunities and to use the information provided by these interfaces in further education. „Simulated environments can now take users by the hand and guide them step by step through work processes,“ says imc board member Sven Becker. New technology also makes it possible for training courses to take place within an animated reality. For example, anatomy training courses are held at the Charité hospital in Berlin. The application of bandages can also be shown via explanatory video and practiced simultaneously.
Simone Stargardt also relies on technical support in her private academy in order to make learning easier for students: course participants can, for example, consolidate newly acquired knowledge via an app or online platform. Video clips, MP3 summaries or digital index cards are also available. All of this serves to record content via different sensory channels and at different times. „In this way, the learning material can be repeated regularly and it is easier to remember,“ emphasizes Stargardt.
Tip number 3: Learning in stages
„Better to learn half an hour every day than a whole day in a row,“ advises Sven Becker. That’s how the brain likes it best. Learning in canapés is now possible with most applications. Experts call it „microlearning“ when small learning units can be completed from anywhere and in under ten minutes. Ideal for nursing staff: Five minutes during the break, half an hour after work or before the start of a shift – and the lesson is learned.
Simone Stargardt recommends that each learning unit should be dedicated to just one topic: „Dealing with accounting first and the latest legal texts immediately afterwards can be confusing. This way, you may not get stuck on a formula or a paragraph. Better to stick to one topic per stage. Accounting today – the new law tomorrow.
