فن آوری تلفن همراه در آموزش بالینی Mobile technology in clinical teaching

INTRODUCTION In the clinical setting the traditional model of nursing education has been one where students are assigned patients and work under the care of an instructor (Hayden, Smiley, Alexander, Kardong-Edgren & Jeffries, 2014). In this model students are challenged to problem-solve through the recall of knowledge at the bedside. However, health technology is a rapidly developing area and an increasing number of mobile devices are being incorporated into the clinical learning environment in nursing education (Doswell, Braxter, Dabbs, Nilsen & Klem, 2013). Mobile technology now enables more active learning in which the learner can actively construct knowledge through drawing on a wide range of internet enabled resources (Mather & Cummings, 2015b). Along with knowledge development, this ability to immediately access resources in a clinical setting has the potential to support student nurses’ skill development and improve their practice (O’Connor & Andrews, 2015). Nursing educators are being challenged to integrate technological innovation to assist students develop their knowledge base, critical thinking and clinical competencies. Given the ubiquity of mobile communication devices there can be no doubt that they will play a significant role in the teaching and learning arena. There will be increasing recognition of their usefulness in guiding student learning at ‘point of care’ (Kenny, Park, Van Neste-Kenny, Burton & Meiers 2009; Mather & Cummings, 2015a). In New Zealand entry onto the register of nurses is controlled by the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) who set the standards for programmes leading to nurse registration. With respect to information technology (IT) the NCNZ state “the programme specially requires students to demonstrate, in practice at a graduate level … the use of information technology and health information management” (NCNZ 2010, p.6). The potential of supporting student learning with mobile technology motivated the decision to explore the introduction of a mobile smart device into teaching practice in the clinical setting at a regional New Zealand polytechnic.