how nursing informatics is used in nursing education
Abstract
This paper summarizes the reflections of nursing graduate students on three discussion questions which focused on how nursing informatics used in nursing education. The
discussions are written in the American Psychological Association (APA) style of writing. Each student discussed in the forum their perception of the topic while providing supporting
evidence. The findings of each discussion topic show that simulation, distance education, and CMS/LMS apps all are interconnected. All three issues influence nursing informatics in
nursing education.
Keywords: simulation, nursing, distance education, nursing informatics
Method
Participants
The nursing graduate students who participated in the discussions consisted of 23 nurses all from different backgrounds and levels of experience. These nurses came from one
nursinginformatics class and engaged in discussion, research, and comments on the work of others.
Assessments and Measures
The students’ discussion was assessed based on APA guidelines. Each student was required to provide an initial post to the question, followed by a minimum of two responses to the
initial posts of other students within their designated group. The discussions were intended to be thought-provoking, and further advance education in this topic through further
literature review.
Simulation
Simulation refers to activities that mimic real-life experiences in a clinical environment that provide nursing students with an opportunity to enhance their practice and decision-
making skills without compromising a patient’s wellbeing (Kim et al., 2016). It is widely used in the USA and other countries across the globe. Simulation is a technology which is used
to replace real-life experiences with the help of guided experiences that duplicate important aspects of the real world in an effective interactive way.
The use of simulation is not only triggered by a need to reinforce practical skills of nursing students but also the drive behind such trends as patient confidentiality concerns
emanating from clinics based in hospitals as well as the shortage of nurse educators. New nurses as well as experienced ones also take an interest in simulations to enhance their skills
and improve the quality of care. Safety, diligence, and delegation are some of the significant areas of concern for nurses as they purpose to achieve all these through such simulations.
Nowell (2016) found that simulation helped students understand when and how to delegate, as well as collaborate and consult with other health care team members.
An abundance of benefits associated with simulations. For instance, they play an essential role in equipping new and experienced nurses with more skills, which are imperative
considering the current patient acuity levels. Simulations provide opportunities to identify loopholes in nursing practice so that they do not occur in real-life situations. Nurses can
increase their knowledge and improve their skills while making errors in the process of simulations without harming any patient.
Distance Education
As distance learning becomes more popular the need for research regarding its use, efficacy, and its value as compared to traditional learning environments also becomes
necessary. From an academic institution’s perspective, it allows for greater revenue flow, reduced need for physical space, less faculty engagement, and reduced overhead to the
institution. From the perspective of students, it allows one to attend class almost anytime, anywhere and is the most convenient way to achieve academic goals while balancing a job,
family, and other daily responsibilities. However, there are many questions regarding the use of online courses as substitutes for traditional classroom education.
Distance education, or e-learning, comes in several forms including synchronous, which is in real-time, and asynchronous, which allows access of information at the convenience of
the student. Also, classes may be taught entirely online or as hybrid courses where some participation is in a traditional classroom setting mixed with online forums, assignments, or
virtual labs. Synchronous communication was shown to increase user motivation but made it harder for students to process the information. In contrast, asynchronous communication
allows the receiver more time to comprehend the learning because the sender does not expect an immediate answer (Hrastinski, 2008). Regardless of the form of e-learning, many
factors need to evaluate to grasp the effectiveness of teaching through online courses better.
A good point made by one of the team members was that in traditional classes, the instructor’s teaching techniques play a significant role in the learning process. In online
courses, the instructor’s personality has little or no value in enhancing learning. It seems that most students are supporters of online and e-learning in general due to the convenience
and flexibility. The assumption made that an online course is equal to a traditional classroom, and the benefits of flexibility and convenience are the only difference. However, the
research by Jaggars, 2014, suggests that adult community college students revealed that while they still preferred face to face classes, time, money and job constraints made the
online experience more convenient. The study also observed that they took fewer challenging classes online, preferring to take the more difficult subjects in a traditional classroom
setting.
I agree with most students and educators that more research is necessary to determine the academic factors, the benefits and possible shortcomings, efficacy, and comparative
analysis to traditional classroom instruction before we gain a complete understanding of the e-learning environment. However, it is already clear that distance learning in its many
forms has been genuinely accepted, integrated, and is thriving in many new and traditional academic institutions. E-learning has made a significant impact on education and is poised
to change the definition of the traditional educational institution.
CMS/LMS and Apps Used in Nursing Education
Course Management Systems, Learning Management Systems, and Applications Used in Nursing Education and Course Management Systems (CMS).
CMS was created for organizations such as colleges and universities to organize digital content on a website, and facilitate the ease of learning, course presentation, and
communication between educators and their students (Wei, Peng, and Chou, 2015). This software enables instructors to create course curriculum and websites for their entire student
body. This application will monitor a student’s performance and manage the student’s registration, enrollment, etc. Instructors can post grades of the students, along with week by
week assignments, tests, and class exercises. More universities are using CMS along with face-face classroom time.
One example of a popular CMS includes Blackboard Learn, a web application that offers online courses while giving instructors the ability to post information for students while in a
face-face or hybrid classroom (Almarashdeh, 2016). An advantage of Blackboard Learn is that students always have learning tools available to them when needed. A disadvantage is
that their grading system is not user-friendly (Almarashdeh, 2016). Some other examples of CMS include Word Press, Kenexa, and Xyleme.
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
LMS functionality is geared more for administrators to track registration, class lists, attendance, grades and class scheduling (Ninoriya, Chawan, & Meshram, 2011). Managers,
teachers, and professors upload course content. LMS is necessary for running a learning organization. The software platform is used in corporate training as well as college education
to track and deliver information as well as student and employee participation. LMSs have gained success in the classroom, and its usage will continue to grow.
Litmos by Callidus Cloud is an example of a popular LMS. This cloud-based LMS unifies classroom, virtual, mobile and social capabilities in a single platform that can meet an
training needs (www.Litmos.com).
Application
Other technological adjunctive tools used in online learning include Interactive Whiteboard (IW), Voice Thread (VT), Edmodo and Google Handouts. IW allows student/teacher
collaboration with the use of iPads and smartphones, using visual imagery, virtual trips, and powerpoint presentations which shared with the whole class. VT allows for uploading and
sharing documents or videos. Students can communicate using text or Skype. Edmodo and Google Hangouts allow teacher/student engagements for discussions and projects, Google
streamed live.
The relationship between Simulation, Distance Education & CMS/LMS Apps
Simulation, distance education, and CMS/LMS apps are all interrelated when it comes to nursing education. This is because all these ways can be used to enhance knowledge and
skills for nurses. The Learning Management System(LMS) and Content Management Systems(CMS) are two of the most popular acronyms in the eLearning industry and they are both
software platform that permits the school instructors and administrators to develop, to post online training content and to focus on each design of eLearning course (Sharma, 2018).
Distance education is an intuitive education activity which brings teaching materials with communication technologies, teachers and students in different places together (Yildiz,
Isman, 2016). For example, a professor can live in California and can be interacting with the student with other faculty members globally via Whiteboard (IW), Voice Thread (VT),
Edmodo and Google Handouts. These are different learning systems that were developing to help people communicating and using information via technology. However, they are the
number of content and tools for distance learning that are available.
According to Yildiz, and Isman (2016) the most critical objective is to design these materials in ways people can understand, easy to learn, easy to access for example audio,
animation, multimedia support, simulation and animation of courses and learning activities to give question and test (2016). In continuation, Yildiz and Isman states the Learning
Management Systems (LMS) is a software that allows the management of learning activities , to allows the students and teachers to keep the system records, retention reports, to
provides learning materials, ability to share learning material, discussion, to manage course catalogs, to receive the assignment, and to enter exams. There are many systems, and the
two most systems that used globally are Blackboard and Moodle, and there are cost-effective
Conclusion
In conclusion, the world of medicine revolves around technology. It is necessary to be meticulous when it comes to patients’ life health-related matters. Proper health care can be
enhanced through these simulations hence the need for their continuous application in the health care industry. The nursing profession has always been to the challenge and always
looking to the future to deliver optimal and quality of care to all patients. The nursing professions are welcoming new ways to teach future and current nurses with new technology
methodto undertake the nursing shortage. Such as distance learning by using simulation, Learning Management System (LMS) and Content Management Systems (CMS). All these
are working in conjunction with providing the best way to teach and to attract the best-talented people toward the educational nursing technology.
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