Identify Strategies to Prepare Nursing Students and Faculty to Thrive in a World Defined by Technology
Methods:
Created surveys that assessed: 1. Faculty knowledge and use of educational and patient technologies in education and practice and 2. Student knowledge and use of digital technologies. Convenience samples were used for both groups to assess needs and wants of both groups.
Results:
The faculty surveys assessed 353 faculty baseline knowledge, skill and needs with educational and patient technologies, specifically simulation, telehealth, and informatics Fall 2014 to Fall 2016. Though, all faculty participants reported that they had some knowledge and skills in simulation and informatics, the majority reported having no skills in telehealth, and most stated they had no knowledge of telehealth. Focus group analysis of faculty identified three areas of concern with nursing faculty: Lack of resources, resistance to change, and lack of information.
A 7 question survey was shared with students in one of their graduate courses over 6 semesters. The aim of this survey was to assess baseline knowledge about informatics and digital health, as well as their needs and desires to learn about informatics and digital health. One hundred and thirty three BS and MS to DNP students participated and identified their knowledge and experiences with health care technologies in their educational programs and careers. Sixteen percent of BS students said they had informatics content in their Baccalaureate program and 15% of the students said they had informatics content in their Masters program. All of the students identified that they would like to learn more about informatics and digital technologies in health care.
Conclusion:
Faculty and students need and want to be endowed with the literacies and capacities needed to thrive in a world defined by technology, a world where anyone can access just about anything on demand, anytime, and from anywhere. Nursing education needs new approaches to guide our ever-connected students. We are at a decisive point in time, where the old ways of operating is rapidly changing. The what, the why and the appropriate use of technology with today’s nursing student are all about active engagement with content knowledge we expect of our graduates as they enter practice.