LEARNING BY DOING. En kvalitativ studie om reflektion, intuition och praktisk kunskap hos kuratorer inom palliativ vård

Abstract

The purpose of this study has been to investigate the significance of practical knowledge in the patient-related work for Hospital Counsellors. We have also tried to establish what the practical learning process looks like. We have conducted a qualitative study consisting of seven semi-structured interviews with Hospital Counsellors working within a palliative care unit at two different hospitals in Re-gion Västra Götaland. The interviews have revolved around the Hospital Counsel-lors learning process, and how the Hospital Counsellors themselves reflect on their practical learning in the everyday work with patients and their loved ones. Our anal-ysis is centred on the learning process and how it is described, and the main com-ponents that are included in this process. We have been able to identify quite a few sources of knowledge in our empirical material and we have also been able to iden-tify several recurring influential factors in relation to the learning process. Our study has shown that there is extensive learning in the everyday work and that the practi-cal knowledge constitutes a predominant part of what we often refer to as gut feel-ing or intuition. By using reflection as a tool to enhance the development of practi-cal knowledge the Hospital Counsellors sharpen their professional skills together with their co-workers, to the benefit of the patients and their loved ones.