Graduate Students Needs and Satisfaction with Wholly Distance Learning

The purpose of this project was to study satisfaction of graduate nursing students

enrolled in wholly distance learning. Also, the results of this study are expected to have

implications for nursing educators with modification, re-design, and development of distance learning courses and curriculum design. Similarly, student feedback and course evaluations are crucial to the ongoing appraisal of the nursing curriculum and/or program. The factors that improve distance learner satisfaction is an important topic for nurse educators. Understanding what influences graduate nursing students’ satisfaction with distance learning can improve course design and add support to positively influence distance learning experiences and successful student outcomes. This is especially important since distance delivery results in less effective learning, has lower satisfaction, and has lower retention rates. Additionally, compared to traditional classrooms, distance students have a 10 to 20 percent higher likelihood of not completing a course. Retention is especially important for nurses since the nursing workforce is aging, therefore educators must pay attention to factors that improve distance learner satisfaction. However, the availability of distance education is growing. The nursing shortage is expected to get worse, from 200,000 to 800,000 over a 10-year period from 2012 to 2022. Plus, there is a deficiency in qualified staff to teach new nurses, this is all the more crucial at the graduate level. Since the Institute of Medicine Report (IOM, 2011) called for nurses to achieve higher levels of education to advance the profession, improve the delivery of care to patients, and be able to and committed to lead change. Distance education can only be successful if suitable supports are in place. Not only do teachers need incentives to teach but it is imperative to keep graduate nursing student’s satisfied with distance learning, in order for them to continue their studies and become our future educators, leaders, practitioners, and policy-makers of tomorrow.

 

Keywords: distance learning, online learning, education, nursing, satisfaction