Does online learning click with rural nurses? A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the factors that influence rural nurses engagement with online learning within a rural health district in New Sound Wales (NSW), Australia.

DESIGN

This qualitative study based on appreciative inquiry methodology used semi-structured interviews with managers and nurses. Purposive sampling methods were used to recruit facility managers, whereas convenience sampling was used to recruit nurses in 2012-2013.

SETTING

Three public health facilities in rural NSW.

PARTICIPANTS

Fourteen nurses were involved in the study, including Health Service Managers (n = 3), Nurse Unit Manager (n = 1), Clinical Nurse Specialists (n = 3), Registered Nurses (n = 2), Enrolled Nurses (n = 2) and Assistant in Nursing (n = 3).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The research found that online learning works well when there is accountability for education being undertaken by linking to organisational goals and protected time. Nurses in this study valued the ability to access and revisit online learning at any time. However, systems that are hard to access or navigate and module design that did not provide a mechanism for users to seek feedback negatively affected their use and engagement.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that rural nurses' engagement with online learning would be enhanced by a whole of system redesign in order to deliver a learning environment that will increase satisfaction, engagement and learning outcomes.