The role technology plays in supporting nursing students to balance study and clinical practice.
Technology has become a part of the education process, particularly the education of pupils in some of the challenging courses in professional education. It can be difficult for nursing students to get coursework and nursing practice done at the same time. They may be asked to study for examinations, to complete homework assignments, to attend classes, to complete clinical rotations and have personal responsibilities that they are expected to perform concurrently.
Luckily, there are digital applications that can help with this! Online learning platforms, apps, virtual simulations, digital libraries and productivity tools can assist nursing students to manage their academic workload and also prepare them for real-life clinical scenarios.
Technology cannot take the place of hands-on nursing care education. Rather, when used wisely, it can be used to aid learning before, during and after clinical practice. A digital resource along with practical work can assist students in learning to be more organised, confident and prepared healthcare professionals.
How Technology Is Increasingly Becoming a Part Of Nursing Education
The use of technology in nursing education is becoming more and more prominent.
Online Learning is Flexible
There is a lot of flexibility with technology. Nursing students are busy students, they might be asked to work, rotate to different locations of nursing practice, care for their families and finish or complete their studies before a designated time. Students can learn online, without having to be present in the classroom.
Students can study at their own time thanks to the possibility of recorded lectures, online textbooks, presentations, and discussion boards. Digital resources can be accessed many times over in the event of a student having problems with the material (e.g., pharmacology; pathophysiological).
This is particularly useful if a student is taking an online course to get his or her nursing degree. Students will not try to fit all academic activities into a scheduled time frame, but will schedule study time around their clinical time.
Using Digital Resources for Better Understanding
There are numerous complex issues to be addressed in nursing and it is not likely that all will be understood in the first lesson. There are several means of revisiting challenging information via technology.
Use of learning videos, diagrams, digital flashcards, online quizzes and e-textbooks can help to engage learners. Students can perform additional research and use resources with which they are familiar from medical and academic sources.
For example, at the end of a course on a specific disease, a student might be able to use a digital resource for information about the symptoms, risk factors, treatment options and nursing care of a specific disease. This can facilitate the linkage of theory and application to clinical situations.
Technology That Supports Students Time Management
Support for students to manage their time using technology.
Organizing Academic and Clinical Schedules
Nursing students have one of the biggest problems that they face is time management. It’s easy to get assignments, tests, clinical rotations, presentations and study sessions piled up.
One of the most fast and convenient solutions is using Digital Calendars. Students will be able to input significant dates and clinical rotations, exams, and personal obligations all in one place. Remind yourself to do important tasks as well.
The student can have several calendar entries for coursework and clinical work. This will help you to know how busy you will be on your day and how much study you’ll need to do.
Task Management Tools
For students getting the “big picture” of an assignment can be frightening. Academic task management apps can help to divide the tasks into smaller ones that can be managed.
For example, one task in a task list may read “complete research paper” while another task could be related to selecting a topic, finding sources, preparing an outline and so forth.
This can help a student to feel like they don’t have as much to do during academic terms and prevent them from being stressed at the end of the term.
Theory Made Real With Virtual Simulations
The virtual simulations help to tie theory with practice.
Using Simulation for Clinical Decisions
Use of simulation to improve clinical decision making.
In the clinical practice, students need to use what they have learned in theory when facing the situation in practice. This skill can be further developed through simulations using technology.
Students are able to ‘practice’ a variety of scenarios in a virtual environment via scenarios and interactive simulations. They might be required to evaluate the patient’s situation, determine if there is any concern, prioritize actions and determine what should be done next.
These activities should not be used in place of actual clinical experiences, but can be used to complement the preparation prior to interacting with actual patients.
Learning From Mistakes in a Safe Environment
Some of the benefits of simulation are that students can make mistakes, without putting a real patient at risk. Once they’ve finished a scenario, they have the opportunity to re-evaluate their choices and learn from them what they should do better next time.
Through repetition, the student will be more familiar with clinical decision making. If a similar set of circumstances occur while placing, perhaps they will have a deeper understanding of the “rational thinking” that occurred.
The Technology Is Helping To Do Nursing Research More Efficiently
New technology is helping to make nursing research more efficient.
Using Digital Libraries for Academic Research
Research is an integral part of nursing education to me. Often pupils will need to locate peer reviewed research, evidence, clinical guidelines and so on.
The process could be much faster, and with the use of digital libraries and academic databases. The students can search for certain keywords, narrow down the results by publication date and save beneficial resources for future reference.
The skill of effectively using academic databases is another skill that will be beneficial for future nurses as they will need to use evidence-based practice and thus need to be able to find and analyse reliable information from an academic database.
Reference Management Tools
Students have the option to use a citation management program to keep track of their research articles and also references. Students do not need to store a variety of sources in their own documents, but rather have a digital library of sources.
These may help you to format your citations but you must check the citations with your institution’s style guide. It will come in very handy when students are engaged in studies based on research.
Students enrolled in online programs, such as the Capella RN To BSN program, may be able to particularly benefit from digital organization since they might need to support their online assignments with hands-on requirements.
Students Can Communicate With Each Other Via Communication Tools
Online Communication and Collaboration
The communication between students and teachers/other students has changed with the use of technology. Students communicate without having to meet face-to-face via learning-management systems, email, video conferencing, and on-line discussion boards.
This will be particularly useful for those students who have a course which they are studying online, or who would not be in the classroom with other students on a regular basis. Pupils can discuss and question topics of the class, work on projects in groups and receive feedback on their work through digital media.
Easy Access to Instructors
Students should not be “mystified” prior to asking for assistance. If they encounter any difficulties they can use digital communication with their teachers.
In some cases, a brief, short question can defuse a bigger concern by clarifying an assignment requirement or a challenging concept, before it goes out of control. There will also be regular contact to help students to stay in the programme.
Staying Focused While Using Technology
While some apps are great, others can be a distraction, and the number of apps you have can become overwhelming.
Technology has been known to increase productivity, but also it can be a distraction. There are many social media updates, or entertainment apps and unnecessary alerts that grab one’s attention and, as a result, become a distraction to studying.
Technology then, should be used for the students’ purpose. If possible, it may be more effective to study without the clutter of apps and notifications from entertainment apps by clearing up their space for apps that are essential for study.
No, it can’t be “the most applications possible. Many students might just require a calendar, a task management system and a great academic resource along with a note taking system.
Technology as a Learning Tool
Pupils should also be wary about over-dependence on the use of digital media. While technology can provide explanations for concepts and organize information, and offer learning materials, it cannot replace the use of professional judgment, communication, clinical skills and human interaction in nursing.
Humans, just as in the same manner, when they begin to experience the stress of academic work, they might think that buying Coursework is a straightforward method to get over it. But, delegating the academic task does not aid students in acquiring knowledge and skills for their career. Students should use technology to aid their own learning and coursework as per their institution’s academic-integrity policies.
Developing a Technology-Based Study Plan for Nursing Students
Brainstorm ways that nursing students can establish a technology based study plan.
Starting Each Week With a Digital Schedule
Digital Schedule: Start of each week.
It would be helpful to have a planning session once a week. Students can view future clinical shifts, assignment due dates, exams and personal responsibilities.
They can make time specific study commitments once they have identified fixed commitments they can make. It is sometimes simpler to work for a shorter period of time regularly than it is to get all your work done in a few long hours at the end of the day.
Preparing Digitally for Clinical Practice
Students can study the previous topics before changing over to clinical topics, using approved educational material. Readings and review of the appropriate nursing concepts prior to working with patients who have a specific condition can be helpful in preparation.
The clinical experience can be complemented with a reflection from the student on what he/she observed in the clinical setting and on the connection of this with what he/she learned in the courses.
Keeping Academic Records Organized
Academic files are well organised.
To ensure students have an organized copy of their assignments, research articles, notes, presentations, etc. can be stored in the cloud. Having folders for each class may help to locate documents when required.
Students also need to frequently save important files so that if there are technology issues, students will not lose their work.
Respect Patient Information and Academic Privacy
Follow the IT Policies of the Institution
Nursing students need to be extra cautious when in the digital environment. Patient data should never be divulged via private social media, public Internet pages or via unapproved apps.
Students will follow the policies of their school for electronic records, photos, messaging applications and other electronic devices.
Use AI Responsibly
When using AI tools, they can help carry out general (non-differentiated) tasks, such as preparing questions to practice or summarizing difficult concepts (when permitted). But students need to check information as it may be inaccurate as we get information from AI.
Students are also encouraged to adhere to their academic institute’s regulations on the use of AI in their academic assignments. Technology should be used to aid understanding not replace independent thought and professional judgement.
Conclusion
Nursing students can manage the rigors of a clinical and academic coursework more easily with the help of technology. The use of digital calendars can improve organizing, online learning can provide flexibility, simulations can promote clinical reasoning and a virtual database can help research.
But technology is most effective when it’s not a substitute for what students learn in the classroom, but rather an aid to classroom learning. Yet there remains a need for hands-on approach, teaching, communication and interaction with patients to be taught to students.
The use of quality educational materials, the organization of the academic workload and the setting of limits on technology use will help the nursing student utilize the time that is available. The result is greater productivity, but more full learning experiences for the student to be prepared for academic success and the world of work as a nurse.
0 Comments