Sustaining connections during practice placements: supporting first year nursing students using Skype©

Hywel Thomas, Senior LecturerDepartment of Nursing, College of Human

and Health Science

The Skype© team • Tessa Watts – Associate Professor • Hywel Thomas – Senior Lecturer CHHS• Elen Davies – Librarian, ISS • Katrina Hall – Librarian, ISS• Lauren Piercy – 2nd year Mental Health Nursing

student • Craig Thomas – IT support, ISS

Outline • Background • Study aims & objectives • Method – Participatory action research using

world café• Findings• Discussion • Conclusion

1.44 billion monthly active users as of March 31, 2015

936 million daily active users on average for March 2015

302 million Twitter monthly active users worldwide

500 million Tweets a day which means about 5,700 Tweets a second

Most followers = Katy Perry: 71,825,990

Background• Eight in every ten new University students now

own a smartphone (UCAS Media, 2012)• Every student in September 2014 Mental Health

Nursing group (n= 70) had a smart phone; • Nursing students are digitally fluent: – 62.7% familiar with using Skype© (Costa et al.,

2011);– 66% using smartphones in their nursing education

(Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins, 2012).

Social media and Nursing EducationAdvances in digital technologies are having a transformative impact on pedagogical approaches Social media use: – promotes active learning whilst also offering flexibility;– enhances the learning experience as:• information can be disseminated in real time;• interaction and feedback may be instantaneous.

Whilst the value of social media as an engagement tool in education is recognised (George & Dellasega, 2011), its integration and use in initial nursing education is in its infancy (Schmitt, Sims-Gibbins, & Booth, 2012).

Student support in higher education

In promoting integration and engagement and enhancing retention, completion and success, the need for effective student support has never been greater (Watts, 2011).

Nursing students face additional challenges

• Simultaneously learning and ‘working’.• The leap into an unknown world: that of work based

clinical placements and the ‘reality shock’ many experience (Kevern & Webb, 2004).

• Contend with the intensity, complexity, unpredictability and emotional dimensions of professional practice.

• Most cope, yet some find placements extremely challenging (Walsh, 2007)

• Issues linked with clinical placements contribute to students’ decisions to leave (Watts, 2011).

Project Aim

To explore the use and effectiveness of Skype© as means of sustaining connections and promoting support for first year mental health nursing students during clinical placements.

Project Objectives • To identify ways in which Skype may be used by personal tutors to support student

engagement with personal tutors during clinical placement component of modules;• To develop a toolkit and guidance for the use of Skype© to communicate with and

support students during clinical placements; • To identify and evaluate the effectiveness of Skype© as a medium of

communication between personal tutors and students during clinical practice placements;

• To identify and explore the effectiveness of Skype© as a medium of support for students during their clinical placements.

• To understand the facilitators of and barriers to using Skype© as a medium for support and communication during clinical placements.

• To engage nursing students in project planning, implementation, evaluation and dissemination.

• To enthuse staff to consider integrating new technologies in course design, development and delivery.

Method

A participatory action research (PAR) approach was used as this would offer an opportunity for academics and students to work collaboratively and present students with a unique opportunity to engage in research, the organisation and evaluation of an event (World Café) and dissemination of findings.

Statistics for study • 65 MH students for S14 • 54 female / 11 male• Age range 18 – 47 yrs• Average age of the group 26 yrs • 40 attending the world café event on 16th April • 18 students stated to using Skype to engage

with Personal Tutor

World Café Event

Findings

• Skype© as a tool to optimise the learning environment;

• Barriers to using Skype©• Utilising advancing digital technologies to create

and sustain support networks in cyberspace.

Do you think that social media offers new opportunities to enhance aspects of higher education ?

a. True b. False

29%

71%

What alternative mode of support (oppose to direct face to face contact) would you consider as means of sustaining communication & support during student placement with the University?

a. Facebook b. Twitterc. Skyped. Face Time via applee. Other

Face

book

Twitter

Skype

Face

Time via apple

Other

21%

3%

38%

3%

35%

Skype© as a tool to optimise the learning environment

Students appeared to embrace the idea of engaging with social media whilst studying.

• 29 students engaged in practice • Resource efficient :

– Time efficient – Financial

• Familiar resource • Immediate clarification • Interactive

– Visual presence– Attentiveness– Feel more at ease

Skype© as a tool to optimise the learning environment

However:

• Preferred contact methods with Personal Tutors were email / phone / face to face:

Would you consider utilising social media in an attempt to sustain engagement with University or Local Health board

a. Yes b. No

Yes

No

44%

56%

Barriers • Suboptimal relational environment;

– Skype© loses the human touch. (Gp 4)– Impersonal, can’t judge body language (Gp 1)

• Professional aspects– Not allowed to use phones on placement (Gp 4)– Blurring of personal/professional boundaries– Confidentiality of information– Evidence of discussion

• Intrusion– Security – people adding you on Skype (Gp2)– Did not accept contact request – Invasion of privacy (Gp1) – Appearance

Barriers • Placement hours vary v 9 – 5pm lecturer role • Student preference - pressure to use Skype (Gp1) • Preferred method of communication from lecturer - one personal tutor group no students engaged • Preparedness to use new technology

– Need more support for those unfamiliar with the technology. (Gp 3)– Computer illiterate. (Gp5)– Utilise full use of Skype resources

• Technological Limitations– Some of the technology is not advanced enough (GP3);– Not always available – connectivity issues WiFi (GP1)

Utilising advancing digital technologies to create and sustain support networks in cyberspace

• Further training / teaching on utilising Skype & social media

- lessons be specific on use, introduced in the curriculum, practice technology (Gp 3)

- more information & support ‘info guide’

• Structure / organisation - contact list shared staff Skype names (Gp 4 ) - establish / build relationship first with Tutor (Gp 1) - expand use, not just tutorials e.g. SGW - only evaluated after 2 placement periods

• Facilities - Skype room in hospital

- Skype technology already in place link Swansea & SDP

student comment

‘It’s the way of the world that technology is advancing and whilst it has a place in nursing I wonder if its fully appropriate for pre registration nursing particularly with communication in mind in terms of obtaining a therapeutic relationship. Maybe old fashioned thinking I appreciate’Student post it note comment 16th April 2015

Conclusion

• Students did engage with its use & technology • Encountered a lot of barriers that can be

addressed and worth revisiting to trail again• Expand use of social media in the curriculum • Longer time frame / engage with other

branches • Thanks you for listening, any questions • Any questions

References Costa, P. B., Prado, C., Oliveira, L. D. F. T. D., Peres, H. H. C., Massarollo, M. C. K. B., Fernandes,

M. D. F. P., . . . Freitas, G. F. D. (2011). Digital fluency and the use of virtual environments: The characterization of nursing students. Revista Da Escola De Enfermagem Da USP, 45, 1589-1594. George, D. R., & Dellasega, C. (2011). Use of social media in graduate-level medical humanities education: Two pilot studies from Penn State College of Medicine. Medical Teacher, 33, e429-e434.Kevern, J., & Webb, C. (2004). Mature women's experiences of preregistration nurse education. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 45, 297-306.Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins. (2012). As smartphone usage expands, survey says nurses and

nursing students want mobile access to credible drug data. Retrieved from http://www.wolterskluwerhealth.com/News/Pages/As-Smartphone-Usage-Expands,- Survey-Says-Nurses-and-Nursing-Students-Want-Mobile-Access-to-Credible-Drug- Data.aspx

References (continued)and useful links

Schmitt, T. L., Sims-Giddens, S. S., & Booth, R. G. (2012). Social media use in nursing education. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(3). doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol17No03Man02UCAS Media. (2012). Eight out of ten freshers have smartphones: Does student marketing now

mean mobile marketing? Retrieved from http://www.ucasmedia.com/news/2013/eight-out-of-ten-freshers-have- smartphonesWalsh, L. (2007). Final report for Health Professions Wales research fellowship 2005-2006.

Unpublished report. Swansea, School of Health Science, Swansea University.Watts, T.E. (2011). Supporting undergraduate nursing students through structured personal

tutoring: Some reflections. Nurse Education Today, 31, 214-218. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2010.06.005

World café articles can be found at http://bitly.com/saltworldcafeSkype articles can be found at http://bitly.com/saltskype