Introduction
The purpose of the author’s DNP project is to increase the satisfaction of newly graduated nurses with the nurse preceptors who are training them through education and training. They believe that currently, potential preceptors are not adequately trained and not ready to support new hires, which may in part explain people’s unwillingness to enter the profession and its high turnover rate. They examine two concepts: new nurse satisfaction with their preceptor and the education of the preceptor in question. New nurses expect their mentors to be capable, knowledgeable, and supportive as they learn the practical demands of their job. However, to adhere to these expectations, preceptors have to be trained in the capabilities expected of them, which do not necessarily come with experience. To support the project, the author considered two theories: Knowles’s theory of adult learning and Lippitt’s change theory.
Basic Concepts
Malcolm Knowles developed his theory of adult learning in the 1980s and has been developing it since, expanding and improving it. Per Billings and Halstead (2019), it assigns four characteristics to adult learners: “they lead lives with different roles and responsibilities, they tend to learn by participating and negotiating, their focus and the meaning they assign to aspects of life are continually being refined as they progress through life, and they may have some anxiety related to their learning” (p. 256). Some of these characteristics are in opposition to those of children, who generally have fewer responsibilities, learn in schools rather than in practice, and have not developed concepts that they can refine throughout their lives yet. Education that targets adults, also known as andragogy, has to take these qualities into consideration when designing their learning.
Lippitt’s theory of change is more concerned with the eponymous phenomenon in general, whether personal or organizational. Henry et al. (2018) state that it consists of seven distinct stages: identification and communication of the problem, resource and motivation assessment, external change agent ability evaluation, change plan design, the definition of the external change agent’s role, team communication regarding the carrying out of responsibilities, and finalizing the change. As the steps indicate, it emphasizes the role of an extrinsic force, which drives the process and contributes its resources to that end, in the change. The outside agent provides competencies that the person or organization lacks and offers an unbiased, neutral overview of the results. As such, it is best applied when the problem is complex and cannot be addressed internally or requires objectivity that is unavailable within the organization.
The Relationship of the Concepts
Learning is a process of change by definition, which lends it some similarities with the process described by Lippitt. In particular, Billings and Halstead (2019) mention the need to have the adult learner recognize the need for them to obtain new knowledge as an essential part of education per the andragogy theory. This initial step matches the first stage of the change process as defined by Lippitt, and some resemblances continue throughout the process. The educator or trainer is the external change agent described in the theory and should adhere to the steps dedicated to them. Moreover, Knowles et al. (2020) emphasize the need for a creative leader in the education process who drives others to improve themselves. Educators have to be competent in the subjects that they teach, and learning objectives should be established before education begins. Overall, Lippitt’s change theory is highly applicable to the learning process as defined by Knowles.
Conversely, being a more specific case of change, the adult learning theory cannot be applied so broadly to the change concept described by Lippitt. With that said, most organizational change will require learning of some sort as the individual or organization adjusts to the new practices. Per the learner characteristics provided above, it is essential that this learning happen in practical situations rather than in theoretical environments. Moreover, they should be provided with considerable autonomy to account for their personal experiences and beliefs as to how they learn best. As such, Knowles’s theory can be used to modify and refine specific aspects of Lippitt’s change stages to facilitate the transition to the new state. Both of the theories can be applied together, though, due to their different primary goals, they cannot both be assigned the same priority, and one needs to be chosen.
DNP Project Evolution
Through the application of Knowles’s theory, the author’s DNP project will become better able to facilitate the learning of preceptors to become mentors who can supplement the needs of new nurses. It will effectively persuade them to participate in the training and help design sessions that are engaging and informative, helping ensure that the participants internalize all of the competencies that they need. Moreover, the theory can help design a learning curriculum that can be taught to other educators and spread to more facilities and locations. Various stakeholders can contribute to it and help improve it over time, designing an improvement program that can be applied nationwide. Ultimately, Knowles’s theory of adult learning can help design a broader teaching program that aims to address the problem of preceptor satisfaction on a national scale.
On the other hand, Lippitt’s theory is unlikely to result in an intervention that can be applied as broadly as the option provided by Knowles. It focuses on change in specific individuals or organizations, assuming that each one is unique with specific strengths and weaknesses. The adult learning theory accounts for these differences to some degree, but it leaves the specifics to the educator’s discretion. In the case of Lippitt’s approach, it would be more productive and practical to focus on the organization as a whole, establishing a preceptor education framework that it can use in the future. It would take a considerable time for the author to do so, and the process would be challenging to replicate. As such, the solution would be much more local and not as scalable, though it would also likely create answers that are better tailored to the specific situation.
Theory Choice
For the purposes of their DNP project, the author has chosen to select Knowles’s theory of adult learning. It is more directly relevant to the aims of their project, as it pertains to education rather than organizational change as Lippitt’s approach does. The author does not necessarily plan to implement any lasting changes at the facility where they will be putting the project into practice due to the time required to do so and test the outcomes. Moreover, the learning solution, as informed by Knowles’s theory, will be more scalable, as even if the author focuses on individual preceptors, they will likely have to design a specialized intervention for each one. As such, from a theoretical standpoint, it is better suited to the author’s project than the other framework considered.
From a practical viewpoint, Knowles’s theory also appears to be preferable because of the effects it has had, both in medicine and outside of it. Henschke (2020) describes its successes in a variety of fields, noting in particular that business leaders have to be excellent at andragogy and highlighting the lack of adult education competencies imparted by doctoral nursing programs. A sound understanding of Knowles’s theory will enhance the author’s performance and ability to teach. Moreover, as the preceptors they will be educating will also oversee the practical training of new nurses, the author can impart this knowledge to them, as well. As such, the framework will contribute doubly, both informing the educational process and constituting part of the material covered. Lippitt’s theory does not share these advantages and is, therefore, less suitable for the project.
Conclusion
The author has considered two different frameworks for their DNP project: Knowles’s theory of adult learning and Lippitt’s change theory. The former is well-suited for the project because it directly corresponds to its purpose of teaching preceptors to train new nurses better. On the other hand, the latter can help facilitate change in individuals or organizations that will help institute lasting education for preceptors. However, as a result, it will likely make the process slower in addition to not matching the purpose of the project. Ultimately, the author has chosen Knowles’s theory because it is more closely aligned with their objective, in addition to a number of other advantages.
References
Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2019). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (6th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
Henry, K., Smith, L., Utley, R., Henry, K., & Smith, L. (2018). Frameworks for advanced nursing practice and research: Philosophies, theories, models, and taxonomies. Springer Publishing Company.
Henschke, J. A. (2020). Facilitating adult and organizational learning through andragogy: A history, philosophy, and major themes. IGI Global.
Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., Swanson, R. A., & Robinson, P. A. (2020). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (9th ed.). Taylor & Francis.