The Place of Care in the Transmission of Professional Knowledge between Experienced Staff and New Recruits in a Hospital Context
This article presents results from research carried out in France on the transmission of professional knowledge between more experienced nurses and healthcare assistants and the new recruits. The hospital sector is currently undergoing demographic changes and the hiring and training of new staff members is highlighted as an important issue. The sector is also experiencing major organizational changes associated with the reduction in healthcare spending, and this is affecting the nursing professions, especially in relation to the cure and care of patients. Based on an ergonomic analysis of three transmission situations, this article analyzes the place of care when passing on knowledge, looking at organizational, individual and collective aspects. It is suggested that transmission should be considered as a nodal activity. It is certainly an activity that ensures that links can be established within the profession and that there can be discussion between staff with different levels of experience and different career paths; however, it is also an area of tension between the demands of the organization and those of the profession, especially in relation to the cure and care of patients. Since transmission of knowledge is not actually organized by the hospital, it becomes a discretionary task for existing staff. What is transmitted and the collective dimension of this transmission can therefore vary and depend largely on available resources and immediate constraints. Lastly, one of the key points in relation to transmission is that it.ensures that existing and new staff remain healthy and are able to provide the quality of work to which they aspire.