Enabling Student Nurses to Use the Information Superhighway

Information Seeking Behavior of Occupational Health Nurses

A questionnaire designed to study the information seeking behavior of professional nurses was mailed to 600 occupational health nurses who work and reside in New York State. A 28% response rate (165 usable replies) was obtained. Results indicated respondents most need to know about government regulations relating to health care, new developments in their area of specialization, drug information, and the psychological aspects of disease. The respondents most frequently looked to peers and colleagues in their agency, personal files and books, and professional organizations as important sources of information. Whereas respondents were less apt to rely on the Internet, MEDLINE, or the hospital library as sources of information used for professional purposes, 38.8% did report they frequently used the Internet to seek health related information. Also, the majority of respondents (65%) indicated interest in continuing education, if it were available, in using the Internet to access health related information. The present study suggests professional nursing organizations have an opportunity to meet members' needs by expediting members' efforts to access and evaluate information using emerging information technologies.

Effects of a Web-based course on nursing skills and knowledge learning

The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of supplementing traditional classroom teaching with Web-based learning design when teaching intramuscular injection nursing skills. Four clusters of nursing students at a junior college in eastern Taiwan were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. A total of 147 students (80 in the experimental group, 67 in the control group) completed the study. All participants received the same classroom lectures and skill demonstration. The experimental group interacted using a Web-based course and were able to view the content on demand. The students and instructor interacted via a chatroom, the bulletin board, and e-mail. Participants in the experimental group had significantly higher scores on both intramuscular injection knowledge and skill learning. A Web-based design can be an effective supplementing learning tool for teaching nursing knowledge and skills.

Competence in nursing informatics among nursing students and staff at a nursing institute in Sweden

BACKGROUND

Information technology (IT) has slowly been implemented in many health-care organizations (i.e. hospitals). The use of computers has advanced to home care and long-term facilities. Consequently, it is important that nurses are able to demonstrate competence and feel confident in the use of IT. Yet, research has reported that nursing students have varying degrees of competence and experience with IT.

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to ascertain nursing students' and nursing educators' self-reported attitudes, skills and experiences using IT.

METHODS

Data were collected through a written survey distributed and completed by 247 nursing students (45 of whom were registered nurses who participated in extension courses) and 52 staff members from the nursing faculty at a university in Sweden.

RESULTS

Two-thirds of the students and 92% of the nursing educators had access to the Internet from their homes. Of the students, 71% identified their IT skills as being sufficient for their current or future work as a registered nurse. Nurse educators were less confident in the students' ability, reporting that only 29% of nursing students had sufficient IT skills. Comparatively, 48% of the nursing educators believed that they themselves had sufficient IT skills for their role as a nurse educator.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important that nursing students have basic IT skills and are familiar with e-mail, word-processing and various databases on the World Wide Web. Findings indicate that participants had a deficit in these skills, suggesting the need to integrate IT into the nursing curriculum.

From Beginning to End

To assess the feasibility of incorporating video applications into distance education courses, faculty and student produced videos to aid in transferring knowledge from nursing courses to clinical practice. Student videos validated prerequisite physical assessment knowledge and skills, allowing identification of students who needed remedial work, therefore, facilitating progression into the advanced content. Faculty-generated video vignettes simulated family dynamics, thus making abstract content concrete. Vignettes were also used to evaluate students' attainment of counseling techniques through testing applications.

This new house: Building knowledge through online learning

The purpose of this study was to understand from baccalaureate-degree nursing students the experience of virtual learning in nursing and to understand how online education enhanced and detracted from learning. Three in-depth, focus-group interviews were conducted with a total of 27 baccalaureate nursing students. Hermeneutic phenomenology was employed to analyze the narrative data. Seven themes were identified from the data. The first theme was "making the framework": (1) providing flexibility; (2) enabling students through observing, guiding, and modeling; (3) faculty as facilitators; and (4) questioning as method. The second theme was "building incredible dialogue": (1) having great discussions, (2) sharing ideas/knowledge, and (3) not being inhibited. The third theme was "critical thinking--the 3-D effect": (1) sitting with the words, (2) using references/research, (3) seeing a variety of perspectives, (4) critiquing self and others, and (5) using selective language. The fourth theme was "personal and professional growth": (1) being connected, (2) feeling valued and respected, and (3) having intimate relationships. The fifth theme, representing the outcomes for online courses, was "more comprehensive learning": (1) deeper understanding and (2) better retention of knowledge. The sixth theme was "being overwhelmed", and the seventh theme was "being frustrated". As a result of this study, an understanding of the phenomenon of online learning was developed. The findings provide direction for future development of the pedagogy of distance learning.

Students?? Perceptions of Online Learning

Using the Internet to deliver nursing courses via distance education can facilitate learning on demand and promote learner-centered instruction. The authors describe 20 graduate nursing students' experiences with online learning. Students learn through reflection, exploration, use of critical thinking, interacting with others, sharing of information, and using resources. Key points of students' experiences with online learning were consistent with the Constructivism Theory. Implications for improving teaching are based upon the Constructivism Theory and include strategies for identifying learning goals and conditions for learning, as well as planning and implementing various methods of instruction.

Internet Teaching Methods for Use in Baccalaureate Nursing Education

The advent of technology has had a profound influence on nursing education. As an example, use of the Internet is continually gaining importance. The Internet allows students to learn in a classroom, via distance education, or at home. Many nurse educators now adapt traditional content with ease, using alternative teaching methods that integrate Internet technology. In this article, a variety of alternative adaptations are considered. Focused on baccalaureate nursing education, this article presents a limited review and critique of the literature regarding successful use of the Internet.

Becoming a web-based learner: registered nurses' experiences

AIMS

The purpose of the study was to describe Registered Nurses' experiences when taking a web-based course from either the workplace or home, and the impact of their learning on clinical practice.

RATIONALE

Little is known about the web-based learners' experience, particularly when courses are accessed from the nursing practice setting. Even less is known about whether nurses transfer their web-based learning to clinical practice.

METHODS

A qualitative design employing focus group interviews was used. Participants included hospital and community nurses from three Canadian provinces and one territory. Data were collected at three points over a 6-month period and analysed using a thematic analysis process. These findings emanate from a larger study using survey method and focus group interviews.

RESULTS

The focus group interviews captured the hurdles nurses faced during the first weeks when they struggled with technology, re-framed their views of teaching and adjusted to web-based learning from home and work. These first stressful weeks were followed by a period during which nurses developed relationships with the teacher and peers that enabled them to focus on learning and prevented attrition. Most nurses reported the web course was convenient and that they would be interested and comfortable using technology for learning and work purposes in the future. Six weeks after the course was completed, nurses articulated a number of ways the course had improved their practice.

CONCLUSION

Initial weeks in a web-based course can be very challenging for novice Internet users, however, most nurses who completed the course reported a positive learning experience. Nurses, employers and educators should evaluate computer skills, computer access and the learning environment when preparing for web-based learning.

The Internet and access to evidence: how are nurses positioned?

BACKGROUND

Published literature that describes the use of the Internet by nurses is scant, but it does reveal that there has been a delay in the acceptance of the Internet as a workplace tool by the medical community and, in particular by nurses.

AIMS

The purpose of this article is to report on a study of how often and from what location nurses accessed the Internet, as well as the types of information they were seeking. In addition, our goal was to compare nurses' Internet use with that of physicians and the public at large, and to highlight structural and institutional challenges to nurses' use.

METHODS

Surveys (1996 and 1998) of Alberta Registered Nurses were used to examine their use of technology at work and at home. Additional data sources were used to compare nurses to physicians and to the general public.

RESULTS

While nurses' Internet and e-mail use at home increased over the 2-year period and was comparable with other groups, Internet use at work was low compared with other groups despite adequate workplace access.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses are more likely to value interpersonal contact, and prefer to use personal experience and communication with colleagues and patients rather than on-line and traditional sources of practice knowledge. In order for an information source to be seen as valuable in the clinical setting, contextually relevant information needs to be accessed quickly and efficiently. Energies should be focused on constructing information systems that address the particular needs of nurses.

A descriptive study of registered nurses' experiences with web-based learning

AIMS

To describe the experiences of registered nurses (RNs) who enrolled in a web-based course from either their home or the workplace.

RATIONALE

In order to maintain competency in rapidly changing health care systems, and meet the challenge of overcoming traditional barriers to continuing education, RNs need access to innovative educational delivery methods. As yet, little is known about the web-based learners' experience, particularly when courses are accessed from the nursing practice setting.

METHODS

The article focuses on the results from questionnaires conducted with 57 RNs enrolled in a web-based, postdiploma course. These findings emanate from a larger study using survey method and focus group interviews. Nurses' experiences were measured using the Online Learner Support Instrument which was developed and tested for use in the study.

RESULTS

Most nurses found the course highly satisfactory. Not all experiences were positive however, and a number of challenges were faced. Access to the course from home was reported as very satisfactory for the majority, while work users encountered a number of serious barriers such as insufficient time and limited computer access. The RNs made significant gains in their learning with e-mail, Internet, keyboarding and word processing skills during the 16-week course. Lack of computer skills, erroneous perceptions of course workload and inadequate preparation for web learning were largely responsible for the majority of withdrawals.

CONCLUSION

Web-based learning can be an effective mode of delivery for nursing education. Advance preparation by educational institutions, employers and prospective students is essential. Teachers, peers, technology, course design and the learning environment are key variables that influence the learners' experience and success.

A model nursing computer resource center

Nursing graduates are required to demonstrate computer technology skills and critical reflective thinking skills in the workplace. The authors discuss a model computer resource center that enhances the acquisition of these requisite skills by students in both an associate degree and vocational nursing program. The computer resource center maximizes student learning and promotes faculty effectiveness and efficiency by a "full-service" approach to computerized testing, information technology instruction, online research, and interactive computer program practice.

Online learning: enhancing nurse education?

BACKGROUND

The need to integrate information technology into nursing education has been recognized and well documented. In spite of this, information technology remains a neglected subject in many nursing programmes. Strategies have been considered for increasing the integration of information technology in nursing education. One of the key issues identified is the need for research into the factors that contribute to optimal learning with information technology, specifically the need to explore issues that contribute to student frustration and satisfaction with learning. Within Australia, the incorporation of information technology as a core subject in nursing education is still relatively new. This article describes how one university used 'online' learning to expose students to conceptual and experiential opportunities that enabled them to develop skills in the management of information technology.

METHODS

Twenty-one students participated in this qualitative study. Individual interviews were used to develop insights into student perceptions. Thematic analysis enabled refined themes to emerge. These themes formed the basis of focus group discussions. Focus groups were used to enhance and validate the information from one-to-one interviews by using group dynamics to add experiential richness to the data.

FINDINGS

Four major themes emerged: computer confidence, flexibility, active learning and practicalities of teaching.

CONCLUSIONS

The integration of information technology into nursing education requires a dramatic change in thinking. The 'learning curve' is steep for both student and educator and there are many issues that need to be considered. This research does not aim to provide solutions to the issues highlighted but rather offers recommendations for enhancing the teaching and learning experience.

Web-based Professional Education for Advanced Practice Nursing: A Consumer Guide for Program Selection

As Web-based education becomes increasingly available, there are more educational opportunities to pursue an advanced practice degree. Despite the increasing number of schools delivering Web-based education courses and programs, evaluation of these programs is primarily in beginning stages. The purposes of this article are first to present a scenario of how a Midwestern nursing school developed, implemented, and continually evaluates Web-based education in its master's program, and second to present a consumer guide for program selection. Elements in the guide are derived from program accrediting agencies, the literature, and distance learning experiences. The consumer's guide is presented for nurses interested in exploring or continuing the completion of an advanced practice degree.

Informatics Competencies for Nurses at Four Levels of Practice

Valid and comprehensive nursing informatics (NI) competencies currently are lacking. Meanwhile, nursing leaders are emphasizing the need to include NI in nursing curricula, as well as within the roles of practicing nurses in all settings. This article presents the initial work of a team of NI experts toward development of a valid and reliable set of NI competencies. Previous work primarily has focused on computer-related skills, rather than examining a broad definition of informatics competencies. For this current work, NI competencies encompass all skills, not only computer-related skills, as well as knowledge and attitudes needed by nurses. The first two authors created a database of NI competencies from the existing literature. A larger panel of NI experts then affirmed, modified, added, or deleted competencies from this database. Competencies were placed into four distinct skill levels. Definitions of each skill level and an initial master list of competencies are provided.

Online Critical Thinking

Educating nursing students using Internet technology, in conjunction with case studies, is rewarding for both faculty and the learner The authors describe an Internet journal discussion format used as an adjunct assignment in a senior clinical nursing course. Adapting a traditional teaching strategy such as case studies proved successful online. Results showed students were able to think critically about a clinical situation and recognize the importance of peer communication.

Untangling the Web... barriers and benefits for nurse education... an Australian perspective

The Internet... a Web of information technology. The potential exists now and increasingly in the future to use this technology to deliver widely distributed, creative, innovative learning to students across vast distances and at times which suit individual needs. The implications of this technology for nurse education, and indeed health care in general, are exciting. The technology is growing at such a vast rate that it would be easy to blindly accept it and promote its use. However, there is a need to stop and consider some of the practical barriers to the use of this technology, particularly for nursing education.

Comparison of Student Outcomes and Preferences in a Traditional vs. World Wide Web-Based Baccalaureate Nursing Research Course

The purpose of this project was to compare student outcomes in an undergraduate research course taught using both World Wide Web-based distance learning technology and traditional pedagogy. Reasons given for enrolling in the traditional classroom section included the perception of increased opportunity for interaction, decreased opportunity to procrastinate, immediate feedback, and more meaningful learning activities. Reasons for selecting the Web group section included cost, convenience, and flexibility. Overall, there was no significant difference in examination scores between the two groups on the three multiple-choice examinations or for the course grades (t = -.96, P = .343). Students who reported that they were self-directed and had the ability to maintain their own pace and avoid procrastination were most suited to Web-based courses. The Web-based classes can help provide opportunities for methods of communication that are not traditionally nurtured in traditional classroom settings. Secondary benefits of the World Wide Web-based course were to increase student confidence with the computer, and introduce them to skills and opportunities they would not have had in the classroom. Additionally, over time and with practice, student's writing skills improved.

Charting the future today: psychiatric and mental health nurses in cyberspace

The development of the Internet is happening at a staggering pace and promises to have a dramatic impact on human relations. If nursing is to adapt to and benefit from these changes, consideration ought to be given to the experiences and opinions of nurses who have adapted to and use the technology. This paper provides an outline of the findings of an Email survey of psychiatric and mental health nurses who are experienced in using the Internet. Questions focused on what psychiatric and mental health nurses use the Internet for, how their use has changed, work-related benefits, and what impact they see the Internet having in the future.

A Framework for Assessing Outcomes and Practices in Web-Based Courses in Nursing

This article presents a framework to assess the dynamic interaction of technology used to offer Web-based courses, the teaching-learning practices in these courses, and the outcomes enabled by the technology. Concepts of the model include outcomes, educational practices, faculty support, learner support, and use of technology. Variables are identified for each of the concepts.

Evaluation of Traditional Classroom Teaching Methods Versus Course Delivery Via the World Wide Web

Higher education is moving with deliberate speed to an electronic classroom. Much has been published on faculty experiences with World Wide Web (WWW) course delivery. However, little research exists on the evaluation of these methods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' perceptions of two approaches to teaching: classroom and WWW modules. Classroom methods were rated significantly higher in relation to content, interaction, participation, faculty preparation, and communication. Technical skills were rated higher for WWW modules. Critical thinking and time allotted for assignments were not significantly different between classroom and WWW instruction. Open-ended comments were rich and supported both positive and negative aspects of classroom and WWW-based modules. Implications call for creativity in course development, course redesign and orientation, active communication with students, support for technical problems, faculty development, and university-wide planning through partnerships.