Introduction: Organizational learning is the most important method to improve performance in long term. This study aimed to compare learning capability from nursing staff’s viewpoint between public and private hospitals of Shiraz.

Methods: The present study was a descriptive and cross-sectional research. The research population consisted of all the nurses working in Shiraz official and private hospitals in 2015, and the research sample was estimated to include 297 people, selected using randomized systematic multi stage random sampling. The data were collected using Gomez organizational learning capability questionnaire in four dimensions, consisting of managerial commitment, system perspective, openness and experimentation, and knowledge transfer and integration. The questionnaire validity by content validity and the reliability with α = 0.81 had been confirmed in the previous researches. Data was analyzed with independent t, ANOVA and correlation tests.

Results: The mean score of organizational learning ability was 58.90 ± 10.95 in official and 55.82 ± 10.38 in private hospitals and was evaluated to be in the middle level. The organizational learning ability level was significantly higher in managerial commitment; openness and experimentation in official hospitals staff compared with private hospitals (P = 0.001); however, there was no significant difference in knowledge transfer and integration, and system perspective between the two types of hospitals (P > 0.05). "Managerial commitment "and "openness and experimentation" had the highest and the lowest averages, respectively, in both public and private hospitals as well as overall.

Conclusions: Considering that in this study the organizational learning ability in nursing staff was in the average level, it offers that nursing managers improve the conditions for transfer of knowledge and organizational learning capabilities in nurses through building a systemic manner, creating openness in hospitals, and allowing for participation of the nursing staff in decision making.