Nowell Lorelli, Johnston Sonja, Dolan Sara, Jacobsen Michele, Lorenzetti Diane L, Oddone Paolucci Elizabeth
Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
JMIR Nurs. 2025 Jan 15;8:e64548. doi: 10.2196/64548.
Professionals in caring disciplines have been pivotal in advancing virtual care, which leverages remote technologies to deliver effective support and services from a distance. Educators in these caring professions are required to teach students the skills and competencies needed to provide high-quality and effective care. As virtual care becomes more integral, educators must equip students in these fields with both interpersonal and technological skills, bridging traditional hands-on learning with digital literacy. However, there is a gap in evidence exploring educators' perceptions and experiences of teaching caring profession students about virtual caring skills within online environments.
This study aims to better understand caring profession educators' online teaching experiences to foster student development of virtual caring skills and competencies.
We used a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach that integrated a cross-sectional survey and individual interviews with educators from caring professions to better understand caring professional educators' online teaching experiences to foster student development of virtual caring skills and competencies. The survey's primary objectives were to examine the various elements of existing e-learning opportunities, delve into educators' perspectives and encounters with these opportunities, and identify the factors that either facilitated or hindered online teaching practices to support students in developing virtual caring skills and competencies. The individual interview guides were based on survey findings and a systematic review of the evidence to gain deeper insights into educators' experiences and perspectives.
A total of 82 survey participants and 8 interview participants were drawn from educators in the fields of education, medicine, nursing, and social work. Various instructional methods were used to help students develop virtual caring skills, including reflections on learning, online modules, online discussion boards, demonstrations of remote care, and consultation with clients. There was a statistically significant difference between educators' level of experience teaching online and their satisfaction with online teaching and learning technologies (P<.001) and between educators' faculties (departments) and their satisfaction with online teaching and learning technologies (P=.001). Participants identified barriers (time constraints, underdeveloped curriculum, decreased student engagement, and limited access to virtual caring equipment and technology), facilitators (clearly defined learning objectives, technology software and support, teaching support, stakeholder engagement, and flexibility), and principles of teaching virtual caring skills in online environments (connection, interaction, compassion, empathy, care, and vulnerability).
Our study identifies the barriers, facilitators, and principles in teaching virtual caring skills, offering practical strategies for educators in caring professions. This study contributes to the growing body of educational research on virtual caring skills by offering educator insights and suggestions for improved teaching and learning strategies in caring professions' programs. As educational practices evolve, future research should explore how traditionally in-person educators can effectively teach virtual caring skills across diverse contexts.
护理学科的专业人员在推进虚拟护理方面发挥了关键作用，虚拟护理利用远程技术从远处提供有效的支持和服务。这些护理专业的教育工作者需要教授学生提供高质量和有效护理所需的技能和能力。随着虚拟护理变得更加不可或缺，教育工作者必须使这些领域的学生具备人际技能和技术技能，将传统的实践学习与数字素养相结合。然而，在探索教育工作者在在线环境中教授护理专业学生虚拟护理技能的看法和经验方面，证据存在差距。
本研究旨在更好地了解护理专业教育工作者的在线教学经验，以促进学生虚拟护理技能和能力的发展。
我们采用了一种顺序解释性混合方法，将横断面调查与对护理专业教育工作者的个人访谈相结合，以更好地了解护理专业教育工作者的在线教学经验，以促进学生虚拟护理技能和能力的发展。该调查的主要目标是检查现有电子学习机会的各个要素，深入探讨教育工作者对这些机会的看法和经历，并确定促进或阻碍在线教学实践以支持学生发展虚拟护理技能和能力的因素。个人访谈指南基于调查结果和对证据的系统评价，以更深入地了解教育工作者的经验和观点。
共有82名调查参与者和8名访谈参与者来自教育、医学、护理和社会工作领域的教育工作者。采用了各种教学方法来帮助学生发展虚拟护理技能，包括学习反思、在线模块、在线讨论板、远程护理演示以及与客户协商。教育工作者的在线教学经验水平与他们对在线教学技术的满意度之间存在统计学上的显著差异（P<0.001），教育工作者的学院（系）与他们对在线教学技术的满意度之间也存在显著差异（P = 0.001）。参与者确定了障碍（时间限制、课程不完善、学生参与度降低以及虚拟护理设备和技术的获取有限）、促进因素（明确界定的学习目标、技术软件和支持、教学支持、利益相关者参与以及灵活性）以及在线环境中教授虚拟护理技能的原则（联系、互动、同情、同理心、关怀和脆弱性）。
我们的研究确定了教授虚拟护理技能的障碍、促进因素和原则，为护理专业的教育工作者提供了实用策略。本研究通过提供教育工作者的见解和改进护理专业课程教学和学习策略的建议，为关于虚拟护理技能的教育研究不断增长的文献做出了贡献。随着教育实践的发展，未来的研究应探索传统的面对面教育工作者如何在不同背景下有效地教授虚拟护理技能。
