Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated support for continued learning in frontline practitioners through online digital mediums that are convenient and fast to maintain physical distancing. Nurses are already neglected professionals for support in training for infection control, leadership, and communication in Pakistan and other developing countries. For that reason, we aimed to deliver a WhatsApp-based intervention for continued learning in nurses who are currently working in both private and public sector. A 12-week intervention was delivered to 208 nurses (102 in the control group and 106 in the intervention group) who had been employed in the clinical setting during data collection. The analysis reveals that nurses in the intervention group show significantly better results for learning in “infection prevention and control” and “leadership and communication.” Results of a content analysis based on participant's feedback also confirm that the WhatsApp-based intervention is a valuable tool for education. This study highlights the effectiveness of online-based digital interventions as a convenient training tool for awareness and management of infectious diseases, leadership, and communication during COVID-19 and beyond. Furthermore, this study emphasizes that group interventions with other healthcare practitioners and the role of on-going longer WhatsApp-based interventions can become integral tools to support continued learning and patient safety practices.
Highlights
Nurses across the globe have been struggling with multiple and compounding challenges since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic [1]
The results suggest that online digital learning, and WhatsApp provides convenient and effective support for continued learning in nurses as an additional tool to advance literacy, communication, and skill development
With respect to the first hypothesis of our study, the results confirm that nurses in the intervention group, compared to the control group, do report an increase in knowledge in the three areas of intervention delivery (“infection prevention and control,” “COVID-19 knowledge,” and “leadership and communication”)
Summary
Nurses across the globe have been struggling with multiple and compounding challenges since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic [1]. A range of challenges have been reported in the literature, including shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) [2], deficiencies in staffing and compensation [3], inability to maintain physical distancing due to nature of job [4], and fear of acquiring the infection and passing it to family members [5]. Continued learning in nurses is empirically associated with lower mortality and morbidity among patients [7]. Empowering nurses with skill development and on-the-job training has benefits for nurse’s self-esteem and their job satisfaction [8]. Continued learning is known to provide nurses with better opportunities for professional development and career advancement [9, 10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
