Effectiveness of Utilizing an Evidence-Based Clinical Skill Platform in Critical Care Nursing Course: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

Background: In today's nursing education, incorporating innovative teaching pedagogies is highly valued, including the utilization of online clinical skills platforms. This study compared the effectiveness of the Clinical Skills platform, an evidence-based e-learning tool, with traditional face-to-face lab demonstration sessions. Methods: A quasi-experimental research study was conducted in the Nursing College, King Khaled University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A convenient sample of 50 students enrolled in the critical care nursing course were divided into two groups: the intervention group utilized the Clinical Skills platform, while the control group received face-to-face lab sessions. Pre-posttest knowledge test for 10 skills were done. Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) were conducted to evaluate skill acquisition as well. Results: A significant improvements in students’ knowledge regarding the ten critical care nursing skill practices as p-value ranged from p=0.042 to p<0.001. Additionally, the intervention group obtained higher percent scores in the OSCE 96% compared to in 80% the control group. Students reported a positive perception of the usability of clinical skill platforms where 84% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that incorporating the Clinical Skills platform was beneficial for their learning experience. In conclusion, these findings support the idea that innovative teaching pedagogies, such as the Clinical Skills platform, enhance the effectiveness of clinical nursing education. This comprehensive and user-friendly platform promotes skill development, active learning, and improved student performance in critical care nursing.