Building Quality Learning and Professional Development Communities

Dr Shane Dempsey PhD GradDipClinEpi, GradCertHEd, DipAppSci (MRS), MIR

Senior Lecturer and Program Convenor Medical Radiation Science

Faculty of HealthSchool of Health SciencesUniversity of Newcastle, Australia

2IMPORTANT CHALLENGES FROM DAY 1

• 25% growth in cancer services, and regional cancer services that will challenge the workforce

• Rapidly changing technology that challenges us• How do we address training in regards to regional centres?• How do we attract staff and overcome the barriers (of regional

locations, and for professional growth)?• How do we deal with safety and quality on an ongoing basis?• Problems with implementing (national) protocols properly• At a systems level how do we improve?• Providing patient centre treatment, care and support • How do we get rid of regional variation in cancer care?

3ANSWERS PROVIDED YESTERDAY

• The key success in achieving quality outcomes in regional centres is staff

• Lesson is build the team and look after the team

• The team is ROs, ROMPs, RTs, OncNurses, ....

4RADONC PRACTICE STANDARDS

1. STAFF– Competence is ensured ... and maintained by staff

development...

2. WORKFORCE PROFILE– Rosters and schedules incorporate time for non-direct

patient activities (teaching, training and education)

Required Evidence:

Measured through performance review, and record keeping of the outcomes of learning, and funded time within working hours for education

5RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EMPLOYERS

• Employers now have an obligation to provide support for staff to continue their learning – they MUST make the opportunities happen

• Straub (2004) – writing about rural HPs• “That all HPs are represented on program and policy

groups ... Programs are required that address the issue of support... That employers ensure that HPs have access to same discipline support ... ”

6HOW DO WE DO THIS ?

• How do we provide access to same discipline education and support?

• How do we provide for learning across discipline borders, and where is it appropriate?

• Competing interests: personal development (personal interest) v centre needs (situational interest)

• Who are the experts on the topic that may bring new perspectives to department practice?

7ADDRRESS LEARNING STYLES

• Industry requires a team approach – knowledge and skills owned by a team that make the industry outcomes robust against workplace changes (eg leave, loss of knowledge)

• Most desirable attributes of staff are those related to social competence (team work, communication, leadership and following)

• Gen Y to Gen X effect – social spaces, social work spaces and social learning spaces – blurring of work and play – make work and learning fun

8LEARNING COMMUNITIES

9EXAMPLES • UoN RT Learning Community

– approx 30 clinical centres nationally that support student RT placements

– development of RT Ed positions in NSW– 2 way provision of support and learning

• Aus RT Uni LC– funding for student placements to regional centres– funding to develop RT simulation labs at unis– development of a national RT student evaluation tool– funding for 5 Vertual Linacs in Aus RT Unis– Vert Linac Community of Practice

10EXAMPLES

• UoN HWA LC– provide for staff support at 8 regional RT centres– provide hardware required for training– increased training opportunities for students– increased work responsibilities for staff– 2 way provision of resources and support

• Benefits– cross borders– learn from each other– borrow from and make use of experts

HOW DO WE WORK IN THE 21st CENTURY?

• E communication information portals– Instant messaging, a record of communication– Mobile technology– Social Learning media

• Email – 2003 (100 emails 1st 2 weeks April) – 2010 (290+ same period plus those sent to folders)

FACEBOOK (2010 stats)

• More than 750 million active users - 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day

• Every month, more than 250 million people engage with Facebook on external websites

• Since social plugins launched in April 2010, an average of 10,000 new websites integrate with Facebook every day

• There are more than 250 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices.

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TWITTER (2010)

• Real time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find interesting

• Mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, win 7, Android... • 106 million registered users• 55 million tweets per day• 40% of twitter users are aged 18-34

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TO ENSURE QUALITY ACROSS REGIONAL AUSTRALIA WE NEED TO ADAPT

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UoN - Elluminate (Blackboard collaborate)

• web conferencing T&L system• muti-point audio, • multi-point video, • interactive whiteboard, • application and desktop sharing, • rich media, • breakout rooms, and • session recording.

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Elluminate @UoN

• Advanced & Future RT Methods– Advanced Anatomical and Functional Imaging – Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)– Motion Sensitive approaches to Radiation Therapy– Adaptive Radiation Therapy – Biological Plan Evaluation - EUD, TCP, NTCP

• RTs at Geelong, PMac• Functional Imaging experts – MRS, PET• ROMPs – bio evaluation and optimisation

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Elluminate @UoN

• Clinical Partners to reduce the barriers of distance• Will in 2012 run real time workshops

• Students on placement to provide support and care

• HWA partners

• This product can reduce the problems with isolation

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In 2012 – RT Community of Learning Colloquium

• RT Community Blackboard• Allow for discussion forums• Allow for webinars• Resource for what is new• Resource for what is being done• Resource of best practice at our most innovative

centres• Experts available for advice and opinion• Interfaces with Facebook & Twitter

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In Summary

• Learning communities allow for exchange of information across boundaries

• LC allow for social constructivist learning

• LC are socially and professionally engaging

• LC challenge authority and mastership (ego, power)

• LC will help build quality clinical cancer services in regional Australia

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QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION

CRICOS Provider 00109J | www.newcastle.edu.au