Skills Transfer to Support Shifting the Balance of Care

Citation

Roxburgh M (2010) Skills Transfer to Support Shifting the Balance of Care. Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom 2010 International Nursing Research Conference. Symposium 13: Shifting the balance of care: Implications for community nursing practice, Newcastle, 11.05.2010-13.05.2010. http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/331659/Research_abstracts_2010.pdf

Abstract
The concept of transfer, much overlooked in nursing and midwifery, has a fundamental role when considering the extent to which performance in one skill or skills developed in one setting transfer to another skill or another setting. Lave (1988) has articulated a widely held view that there is overwhelming evidence that transfer frequently does not occur. The distinction between low road and high road transfer may illuminate this issue. Skills within skills clusters that are sufficiently similar to allow low road transfer in which skill transfer of relatively well-practiced skills takes place in what is an almost automatic fashion (Schunk 2004). High road transfer is required for transfer between different skills clusters as these require decontextualisation and abstract knowledge. The aim of this element of the study was to identify and test model/s to support the transfer of skills from hospital based services to (predominantly) home based services, in particular, those required to support people requiring palliative care and others requiring interventions such as IV analgesia, antibiotics, hydration, blood transfusions and bisphosphoneate administration This paper will report on: 1) The frequency of exposure to the above skills from both the primary care practitioner and the community practitioner perspective. 2) Develop and test educational interventions which promote and support the safe, sustainable transfer of knowledge, skills and confidence over time. 24 Registered nurses from a range of nursing disciplines i.e Health Visitor, District Nurse, School Nurse, Community Hospital Nurses took part in individual telephone interviews. Thematic analysis reveals themes around: exposure, education, resources, self efficacy.