Learning Theories and Dementia Care

This essay examines the association between learning theories and dementia care. It discusses behaviorism, cognitive theory, social learning theory, and humanist learning theory. It also explores the application of HRQoL and QoL models in assessing mental health. Additionally, it delves into different learning styles and teaching strategies in professional nursing and midwifery. The importance of teaching and education in linking theory and practice in the clinical setting is emphasized.

EDUCATION FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
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Introduction
Learning theories are a well-ordered set of principles that help in understanding how people
retain, acquire, and recall knowledge. Several theories have been proposed to explain how
learning occurs in human beings, and they include behaviorist learning theory, cognitive theory,
social learning theory, and humanist learning theory. This essay will focus on how dementia,
which is a cognitive disease that causes a progressive deterioration in thinking and memory of
individuals is associated with learning theories. Dementia care is mainly related to behaviorism
theory that has been majorly applied in psychological studies and focuses on the observation of
the patient’s behavior for effective judgment and decision making. Caring for patients with
dementia has been my passion, and therefore, I chose dementia care, which is an area I have
widely read.
II
Behaviorism theory contributed by Skinner, Pavlov, and Bandura, objectively focuses on
observable behaviors without taking into account independent activities of the mind. This theory
suggests that learning is a change in behavior that can be observed due to external stimuli in the
environment (Argaw et al. 2017). Additionally, cognitive learning theory explains how internal
and external factors influence both thinking and other mental processes to produce learning in
people. It seeks to explain the thinking that differs from mental processes while considering the
internal and external factors that contribute to conditions such as dementia to produce a learning
experience in individuals. Cognitive learning theory emphasizes knowledge acquisition and
storage are well impacted when the cognitive processes are working normally. Social learning
theory proposed by Albert Bandura states that people learn from one another through several
processes such as imitation, observation, and modeling (Honicke & Broadbent, 2016). Humanist

learning theory contributed by Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Malcom Knowles involves
learning through applying the concept of learning through watching the behavior of individuals
and the outcome resulting from such learning activities (Draganov & Sanna, 2013). As opposed
to behavioral theory, it involves learning through observation whereby the teacher is expected
the role of the learners is to explore and observe.
Besides, HRQoL and QoL models are employed in knowledge and skills delivery to learners.
HRQoL model is a multi-facets concept that covers domains related to the physical, mental,
emotional, and social functioning of individuals under study (Deshpande et al. 2011.). This
model evaluates different qualities such as population health, measures the well-being which
extends to positive emotions and life satisfaction f individuals. This model also assesses the
positive evaluation of people’s lives when they are very healthy and satisfied with the life and
quality of relationships in their social lives. It is used based on the above criteria, to evaluate
patients’ reports and literature that exist in arriving at conclusions that some factors result to
cognitive and behavioral changes as may be observed from various patients’ medical reports.
Further, QoL model is used to study various aspects of life that goes into defining the overall
quality of life of people such as the income, housing, employment, education and incidental
living and environment conditions that are observed from proxy indicators such as happiness,
well-being and life satisfaction (Bakas McLennon, Carpenter, Buelow, Otte, Hanna & Welch,
2012). QoL seeks to link and find psychological wellbeing would influence behavioral change in
persons who have dementia. This is because the scales used to evaluate the quality of life,
especially those with mental health problems would be based on the satisfaction of basic needs
alongside the universal well-being of individuals. With regards to mental health, social
integration, which is a variable of evaluation when it comes to QoL model has been argued to

decrease individuals’ levels of stress hence helping them deal with poor mental health.
Therefore, the lack of social integration has been implicated in causing poor mental health on
individuals (Kohigashi et al. 2013).
II
Different theories employ various learning styles that are put in place to produce a learning
experience to the nurses and other physicians working on a mental health facility. Cognitive
learning style entails teaching, observation of responses, and recording of observations (Osborne,
2014). Teaching as a learning style for cognitive theory involves discussions and analogies
intended to assess how the learners attend to dementia patients, processes, and stores the
information presented to them. The cognitive theory also employs cognitive development, which
focuses on individual growth based on how individual perceive things, think, or reason.
Cognitive development will associate what individuals know to make discoveries in say, for
example, behavior or make observations within the range of mental processes (Chen et al. 2017).
This theory adopts the information processing model, which evaluates how the human mind
receives, stores, and process the information that is passed to them.
Social learning theory major learning style is observation whereby role modeling is adopted as
the major source of experience. The learning style moves from the fact that most human behavior
is learned through observing hence through modeling whereby fewer experience nurses can learn
from observing others, allows the learners to form ideas on the emerging new behaviors
(Ockerman & Adams, 2018). The information stored through these learning endeavors serves to
guide for the action. Role modeling is the major concept of learning that is common in social
learning theory, which entails observing from the role models are likely to be reciprocated. This
model is based on operant conditioning of a human brain which dictates that an individual’s

behavior is bound to change depending on the environment and the feedback they receive in the
form of consequences, which determines whether or not the individual’s behavior will change
(Crossley, Maddox & Ashby,2018).
III
Teaching and education help the nurse student link theory and practice in the clinical setting.
Teaching in nursing is a dynamic profession where practitioners can share their clinical expertise
with nursing students beginning their careers. Desire to influence student success and shape the
next generation of health professionals is one of the strongest motivators for becoming a clinical
educator. The supportive practice of high-quality learning experiences is important to ensure that
nursing students develop into competent practitioners in the future.
IV
Teaching and education help the nurse student link theory and practice in the clinical setting.
The design of educational strategies has to ensure that learners process the knowledge delivered
and understand it well. Presentation techniques such as using slides during lecture presentation
ensure that learners can follow through attentively (Regmi, 2012). Use of concept mapping as an
education strategy helps the learners’ link different ideas and therefore, form new ideas from
their understanding. Use of visual techniques like slide presentations used in my presentation for
dementia care promotes critical thinking, evaluation, and analysis. Learners can identify gaps in
their knowledge and identify their future learning needs to fill the knowledge gaps. Problem-

based learning allows learners to have self-directed learning where the learners are given a
problem-based scenario to answer questions from, and later, the educator provides feedback. It is
important that nurse educators select appropriate teaching strategies that engage learners and
ensure that they process the information effectively by delivering high-quality education
(Crimlisk et al. 2017). To implement learning strategies, the education strategy designs should be
used to meet the different learning styles of the learners. The educator first needs to assess the
learner's style and then choose techniques and strategies that best fit the style. Knowledge
acquisition among learners varies according to the teaching strategy and learning style used. A
combination of strategies when implementing a learning design is best to maximize the learning
experience of the learners (Freeman et al. 2014). Evaluation helps in assessing the designed
education strategy and its implementation process to address its inadequacies and make it
effective to the learners.
V
My dementia care presentation was designed in a slide presentation that had an orange and white
background to capture the learners’ attention. The information in the slides was presented in
short summarized points that were easily comprehended by the learner and allowed asking of
questions where they did not understand. To implement my design of the dementia care
presentation I had to make sure that I first understood the topic and then presented it in a manner
that the learner could easily grasp the concepts (Lai, Tsai & Yu, 2011). Dementia care is clinical
teaching; it was important that the learners understand the subject deeply and relate the theory to
practical hospital care.
Conclusion

This paper has examined the learning theories, which include cognitive, social learning, and
behavioral theories, which are the main learning theories taught and embraced in professional
nursing and midwifery. Also, the models which apply to the learning theories have been
discussed while drawing examples of their application. HRQoL and QoL have been examined as
the major models of studies used by professionals to assess the mental health of individuals
under observation. Further, individual learning styles adopted by various individual learning
theories have been examined alongside their application in teaching professional practice. This
research has further demonstrated the applicability of the learning skills, and theories in clinical
teaching and education while establishing that classroom clinical credibility can make a positive
contribution in professional practice.

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