This poster presentation will share research findings from a pilot study with a group of undergraduate nursing students that involved a partnership with a liaison librarian and three partner hospitals. The purpose of this study was to describe how senior baccalaureate nursing students interacted with smart devices (e.g. smart phones or an iPod touch) across the curriculum and how nursing students and clinical faculty interacted with them in clinical practice. The study also examined user satisfaction with the smart device, self-efficacy, and comfort with technology before and after the use of a smart device. The goal of this project was to actively engage nursing students in their learning and ultimately in their clinical practice by enabling them to use smart devices to gather multiple sources of evidence/information in the classroom, clinical and simulation laboratory setting. It was anticipated that smart device technology and training sessions related to use of this technology and evidence-informed resources could enrich student and clinical faculty learning. Student participants used their own devices (or the device provided by the study) in a variety of learning environments. Clinical faculty used an iPad mini supplied by the study.
The Faculty research team worked with the liaison librarian and three clinical partner institutions to develop information literacy skills among the students and clinical faculty involved in the project. Nursing students need to make informed clinical decisions on the basis of evidence and smart technology can allow them to access such evidence anywhere. Nursing students and practicing nurses frequently lack the requisite skills to locate and evaluate information on which to base clinical decisions. It is important to ensure the development of strong information literacy skills which involve the ability to know when information is needed and to find, retrieve, analyse and use the needed information effectively. Study participants had training sessions and access to high-quality online library resources, current nursing software resources to support evidence-based learning and practice, and some funding to purchase additional healthcare resources or applications (apps) for their devices.
Study data was collected using several pre and/or post measurement tools, online logs to record the type and frequency of smart device resources used in the clinical area, and focus groups (student participants) and semi-structured interviews (clinical faculty). There were 24 student participants (from five clinical groups across three clinical sites) and three clinical faculty participants. The study concluded in December, 2013 and findings are in the process of being analysed. Preliminary results suggest increased engagement in seeking information and collaborative learning as well as increased use of evidence-based resources on the part of participants. This presentation will focus primarily on the data related to device use in clinical placements.