School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Wisconsin International University College-Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Nurs Open. 2023 Feb;10(2):754-764. doi: 10.1002/nop2.1342. Epub 2022 Aug 30.
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived benefits and challenges of online distance education and computer-based testing (CBT) among registered nurses and midwives in a sample of government-owned health facilities and health training institutions in Ghana.
Exploratory descriptive qualitative design.
Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 participants (i.e. 25 nurses and 20 midwives). The data were manually processed and analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach (November 2019-February 2020).
Nurses and midwives prefer online distance education for three reasons: convenience, cost-effectiveness and learning centre proximity to the workplace. The course schedule's flexibility allowed participants to work and study simultaneously. Others acknowledged online distance education as a viable option for overcoming the challenges of obtaining study leave. However, the lack of recognition of certificates by some employers, poor Internet connectivity and perceived excessive course load were noted as deterrents. Regarding the CBT, many of the participants said that it was useful. Among the advantages of CBT are: (1) a decrease in examination malpractices, (2) a decrease in examination costs and (3) a rise in students' interest in information, communication and technology (ICT). This finding emphasizes the necessity of integrating ICT into nursing and midwifery education and examinations, as well as maximizing its benefits.
本研究旨在探讨加纳政府所有的卫生机构和卫生培训机构样本中注册护士和助产士对在线远程教育和基于计算机的测试（CBT）的感知益处和挑战。
探索性描述性定性设计。
对 45 名参与者（即 25 名护士和 20 名助产士）进行了个人半结构化访谈。使用 Braun 和 Clarke 的主题分析方法（2019 年 11 月至 2020 年 2 月）对数据进行手动处理和分析。
护士和助产士出于三个原因更喜欢在线远程教育：方便、经济实惠和学习中心靠近工作场所。课程时间表的灵活性允许参与者同时工作和学习。其他人承认，在线远程教育是克服获得学习假的挑战的可行选择。然而，一些雇主不承认证书、互联网连接差和认为课程负担过重被认为是阻碍因素。关于 CBT，许多参与者表示这很有用。CBT 的优点包括：（1）减少考试作弊，（2）降低考试成本，（3）提高学生对信息、通信和技术（ICT）的兴趣。这一发现强调了将 ICT 纳入护理和助产教育以及考试的必要性，以及最大限度地发挥其益处。
