Technology-based approaches to enhance clinical learning opportunities for student nurses in a nursing education institution in Gauteng

Abstract

BackgroundClinical learning opportunities and experiences are vital in nursing education to enhance the student nurses’ acquisition and advancement in clinical skills competencies and preparedness to fulfil their professional nursing responsibilities. A paradigm shift of nursing colleges to higher education, the rapid advancement of technology and digitally native students entering the health and nursing profession, require nursing education to upgrade and complement the old teaching and learning pedagogies with new innovative and creative methodologies. The adoption and integration of technology for supported clinical learning will not only enhance clinical competencies and skills development but will also improve the delivery of quality healthcare aligned with the global standards in clinical education and the health profession PurposeThe purpose of the study was to explore and describe the perceptions of nurse educators, clinical facilitators, and operational managers on how clinical learning opportunities could be enhanced through technology. This aimed to outline technology-based approaches to enhance clinical learning opportunities for student nurses. MethodsQualitative, explorative, and descriptive methods were used to achieve the purpose of the study. A purposive sampling method was used to consciously select nurse educators, clinical facilitators, and operational managers as participants. They were able to provide in-depth and rich data on how clinical learning opportunities for student nurses could be enhanced through technology. The demographic information of the participants consisted of twenty-nine female nurse educators, two male nurse educators, nine female clinical facilitators, four female operational managers, and one male operational manager. Data was collected through agenda focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews. A matrix-building method of data analysis as guided by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s framework was used with the development of themes. SettingThe study took place in a public Nursing Education Institution (NEI) in Gauteng that provides education and training for undergraduate nursing programme at a diploma level. ResultsThree themes emanated from the analysis which included promoting the use of web-based learning and interactive video recordings, adopting, and using high-technology systems (virtual and augmented patient simulations), and ensuring accessibility to technology-supported clinical learning resources and the internet. DiscussionThe transition to online learning technology-based approaches will provide accessibility to various clinical learning platforms across time and location to enhance clinical learning opportunities and experiences for student nurses.