Anxiety in nursing students: The impact of using mobile technology with quick response codes

Demystifying the Technology Barriers of Nurse Educators

BACKGROUND

Technology is pivotal in nursing education, with methods such as the flipped classroom, active learning, and patient simulation becoming integral. Despite this, persistent barriers hinder technology's full integration.

METHODS

An online survey collected data from nursing faculty members (n = 1761) in prelicensure nursing programs. The survey assessed their views on technology, barriers, training needs, and importance in classroom and simulation settings.

RESULTS

Participants highlighted financial support, commitment, and administrative support as critical for technology adoption. Statistical analysis of the results revealed differences in the rankings of the importance of technology, emphasizing the significance of these factors. Additionally, time in the classroom was noted as a significant barrier.

CONCLUSIONS

Technology's role in nursing education continues to expand. Overcoming financial constraints and enhancing faculty buy-in are essential for successful technology integration, ultimately, improving informatics competencies and advancing technological nursing education.

Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Technology: Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The growing presence of digital technologies in health care requires the health workforce to have proficiency in subjects such as informatics. This has implications in the education of nursing students, as their preparedness to use these technologies in clinical situations is something that course administrators need to consider. Thus, students' attitudes toward technology could be investigated to assess their needs regarding this proficiency.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate attitudes (enthusiasm and anxiety) toward technology among nursing students and to identify factors associated with those attitudes.

METHODS

Nursing students at 2 universities in Sweden and 1 university in Poland were invited to answer a questionnaire. Data about attitudes (anxiety and enthusiasm) toward technology, eHealth literacy, electronic device skills, and frequency of using electronic devices and sociodemographic data were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the data. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical inferences.

RESULTS

In total, 646 students answered the questionnaire-342 (52.9%) from the Swedish sites and 304 (47.1%) from the Polish site. It was observed that the students' technology enthusiasm (techEnthusiasm) was on the higher end of the Technophilia instrument (score range 1-5): 3.83 (SD 0.90), 3.62 (SD 0.94), and 4.04 (SD 0.78) for the whole sample, Swedish students, and Polish students, respectively. Technology anxiety (techAnxiety) was on the midrange of the Technophilia instrument: 2.48 (SD 0.96), 2.37 (SD 1), and 2.60 (SD 0.89) for the whole sample, Swedish students, and Polish students, respectively. Regarding techEnthusiasm among the nursing students, a negative correlation with age was found for the Swedish sample (P<.001; ρSwedish=-0.201) who were generally older than the Polish sample, and positive correlations with the eHealth Literacy Scale score (P<.001; ρall=0.265; ρSwedish=0.190; ρPolish=0.352) and with the perceived skill in using computer devices (P<.001; ρall=0.360; ρSwedish=0.341; ρPolish=0.309) were found for the Swedish, Polish, and total samples. Regarding techAnxiety among the nursing students, a positive correlation with age was found in the Swedish sample (P<.001; ρSwedish=0.184), and negative correlations with eHealth Literacy Scale score (P<.001; ρall=-0.196; ρSwedish=-0.262; ρPolish=-0.133) and with the perceived skill in using computer devices (P<.001; ρall=-0.209; ρSwedish=-0.347; ρPolish=-0.134) were found for the Swedish, Polish, and total samples and with the semester only for the Swedish sample (P<.001; ρSwedish=-0.124). Gender differences were found regarding techAnxiety in the Swedish sample, with women exhibiting a higher mean score than men (2.451, SD 1.014 and 1.987, SD 0.854, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights nursing students' techEnthusiasm and techAnxiety, emphasizing correlations with various factors. With health care's increasing reliance on technology, integrating health technology-related topics into education is crucial for future professionals to address health care challenges effectively.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/14643.

Determination of nursing students' attitudes toward and readiness for mobile learning: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Mobile learning is a learning method that enables nursing students to learn anytime and anywhere.

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to determine nursing students' attitudes toward and readiness for mobile learning.

DESIGN

A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used.

SETTING

The study was conducted at a nursing faculty in Turkey.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample size was determined using the stratified randomization method by considering the participants' years at school, and 290 nursing students were included in this study.

METHODS

Data were collected using the Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire, Mobile Learning Attitude Scale (MLAS), and Mobile Learning Readiness Scale (MLRS) using the survey method. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 25.0, was used for all data analyses.

RESULTS

The mean scores of the participating nursing students obtained from the MLAS and MLRS were 76.48 ± 9.28 and 79.64 ± 16.62, respectively. Compared to first- and second-year students, fourth-year students, those who had mobile learning experience, and those who wanted to use a mobile learning system in the future obtained higher MLAS and MLRS scores. A positive, weak correlation was found between variables, age and level of computer use, and the MLAS and MLRS scores.

CONCLUSIONS

It was determined that the attitudes of nursing students toward mobile learning were positive and they were ready for mobile learning. The results of this study can be used in designing and implementing mobile learning systems.

The use of mobile technology to support work integrated learning in undergraduate nursing programs: An integrative review

OBJECTIVES

Investigate the use of mobile technology to support Work Integrated Learning in undergraduate nursing programs.

DESIGN

Integrative review with narrative synthesis.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic databases searched in February 2021 included CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE and APA PsychInfo.

REVIEW METHODS

The methodological framework described by Whittemore and Knafl (2005) guided this integrative review. A total of five (5) studies published between 2017 and 2020 were analysed and synthesised.

RESULTS

Data was categorised into two themes: 1) Accessibility of Learning Resources, and 2) Effective and Timely Communication. Convenient and easy access to Learning Resources at the point of care improved students' confidence and competence to perform clinical skills, thereby reducing student's anxiety and increasing satisfaction rates. The accessibility to educational and skills-based resources also promoted patient safety at the point of care. Effective and Timely Communication improved engagement and collaboration between students, clinical facilitators and academics, enabling a more supportive environment that improved student autonomy and motivation for self-directed learning. The Effective and Timely Communication of student progression and assessment strategies was found to improve student engagement and motivation to be independent learners.

CONCLUSION

This review contributes important knowledge because internationally there is a need to increase knowledge and understanding of how to best support Work Integrated Learning experiences of student nurses. Mobile technology has been recognised as an innovative tool in education, further research investigating its use to support Work Integrated Learning in undergraduate nursing programs is required.

Coping with the Experience of Bad Sleep and Fatigue Associated with the Nursing Clinical Practicum

Nursing students experience anxiety during clinical practicum, which may interfere with their learning of clinical practice. This study explored the practicum anxiety symptom experience of clinical nursing students. The methodology was mixed research design consist of questionnaire and a qualitative research design following a grounded theory approach. Research data were gathered via theoretical sampling from 37 female college nursing students practicing in a Central Taiwan hospital and analyzed using the content analysis method. The mean age of the subjects was 20.7 ± 1.35 years old. The practicum-related anxiety symptom experience was made up of core dimensions associated with the nursing clinical practicum, such as bad sleep and fatigue, and covered six themes. Students first encountered anxiety-inducing situations in the clinical setting, and then they began coping through self-adaptation and teachers' help. In cases of coping failure, students began to have a bad sleep in the night and then felt tired and fatigued all day. These themes became a repeating cycle during the clinical practicum. This conceptual model shows that students experienced bad sleep and fatigue as a result of anxiety symptoms during the clinical practicum. Bad sleep and fatigue are critical anxiety symptoms for nursing students in clinical practice. Nursing teachers should pay attention to bad sleep and fatigue in nursing students and help students to improve their mental and physical health.

Integrating technology in skills lab: Using smartphones for urinary catheter validation

Nurse educators are challenged to promote student success in all learning environments. Historically, students had increased anxiety associated with poor outcomes for indwelling urinary catheter skill validation. Faculty were looking for alternative ways to reduce stress, improve learning, and achieve successful student skill validations. The purpose of this process change project was to implement and evaluate an innovative teaching strategy of a psychomotor skill. Specifically, the integration of smartphone technology, self-evaluation, and peer feedback on indwelling urinary catheter skill validation was implemented and student perceptions of this strategy were evaluated. Throughout two, four-hour skills lab sessions, 81 students in the second semester of a baccalaureate program in nursing participated in peer pairs where they used smartphones to video and refine their indwelling urinary catheter skills through self-reflection and peer feedback. Students reported the utilization of technology and peer feedback positively enhanced learning and "decreased anxiety". However, students agreed integrating technology into a psychomotor skill validation was not without challenges. However, the benefits outweighed the challenges providing implications for nursing education to use smartphones to evaluate a psychomotor skill as a strategy to integrate technology, self-reflection, and peer feedback into a clinical skills lab environment.