Drivers and barriers to adopting reusable learning objects by postgraduate nursing students in Oman to improve their knowledge, skill and confidence

14^th World Congress on Healthcare & Technologies

July 22-23, 2019 | London, UK

Asiya Al Hasni, Windle R and Wharrad H

University of Nottingham, UK
Ministry of Health, Oman

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Health Med Informat

Abstract :

Ensuring safe practice and meeting patient care needs are the fundamental objectives of nursing. Preparing nursing students with the knowledge and skills corresponding to the roles they will perform in the clinical area is the primary goal of nursing education, thus it follows that effective methods are essential to promote learning in nursing. The shortage of faculties in some specialties like critical care and emergency nursing means there is increased demand for alternative and innovative methods to foster pedagogical learning approaches. Increased patient admissions, staff shortages and decreased clinical placement have contributed to decreased learning opportunities for nursing students this is a particular issue for post-graduate education. Research conducted in Oman is limited to exploring rudimentary ICT skills in students, with no dedicated interventional studies to explore e-learning adoption in postgraduate nursing education, which supports the rationale for conducting this study to investigate the drivers and barriers to adopting e-learning among postgraduate nursing students in Oman, to improve their knowledge, skill and confidence. The particular formats of e-learning in this study are reusable-learning objects (RLOs). RLOs are �??open access, interactive multimedia web-based resources focused on a single learning objective which can be used in multiple contexts�?�. The first phase in this study was the implementation of co-designed RLOs, developed primarily for UK nurse education, into the specialized Nursing Institute in Oman for nursing students on the adult critical care-nursing program (ACCNP). In the second phase of the project, Q methodology (a mixed method approach) was used to explore the drivers and barriers of adopting RLOs in Oman within nursing education. Students who have used the RLOs during phase 1 were invited to take part in phase 2 (Q sort) combined with short interviews. PQMethod software was used to factor-analyze the data. The results showed three factors and a number of consensus statements. The factors represented perspectives described as Constructivism, Pragmatism and Self-regulation. Q-methodology and the factors derived will be explored in the presentation.

Biography :

Asiya Al Hasni is a Lecturer at the Higher Institute of Health Specialties, Adult Critical Care Nursing Program, Ministry of Health, Sultanate of Oman and a third year PhD student in the School of Health Sciences at Nottingham University in the UK. She has a Master’s degree in Leadership and Management from Cardiff University, UK in 2010 and BSc in Nursing from Kingdom of Bahrain in 2002. She worked as a Register Nurse for more than five years at Royal Hospital in Oman. Her research interests are in the area of different strategies of education and learning in healthcare. Her doctoral research investigates drivers and barriers to adopting reusable learning objects by postgraduate nursing students in Oman to improve their knowledge, skill and confidence.

E-mail: Asiya.Alhasni@nottingham.ac.uk