ABSTRACT
Learning is a notion not at all foreign to health care. Individual practitioners, and practitioners as a whole through their respective specialties, continu ally attempt to improve the means of providing care to patients albeit technically, technologically, and/or interpersonally. Organizational learning, however, poses challenges that require a willing ness to change when and where change is needed. The “organizational” aspect also requires developing shared mental models, a well-articulated mission, and a willingness to surrender personal goals in lieu of the organization’s goals. This must continuously occur between all providers and managers working within an organization despite the fact that these individuals may not be accustomed to working together. These groups may, in fact, represent vari ous cultures within the organization as suggested by Carroll and Quijada (see chap. 45, this volume).
