Exploring the effects of learning from excellence: a qualitative study of staff perspectives

Abstract

Background/Aims Learning from excellence is a non-hierarchical system for staff to report episodes of good practice that they observe in the workplace, aiming to share learning from good practice, in line with the Safety-II approach. This study aimed to analyse staff perspectives of the impact of a learning from excellence system in place at a hospital in the south east of England. Methods A qualitative investigation was conducted using semi-structured focus groups with individuals from five departments at the hospital. Focus group guides were developed using existing literature about learning from excellence. The focus groups were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The dataset was thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke's guide to NVivo 12 software. Results Findings were triangulated across three main themes: positive impact of learning from excellence on individuals and teams; problems with learning from excellence; and learning from the reports. Conclusions Perspectives on the impact of learning from excellence were generally positive, particularly regarding the benefits for staff morale and motivation. Future studies should consider using an experimental design to compare the impact of the learning from excellence system to that of traditional incident reporting.