gms | German Medical Science

Background and status of (inter)national research: Dementia is a major public health concern. Nurses have a key role in caring for patients with dementia and to relieve caregivers. To prepare them for adequate demand-oriented nursing care provision, there is a need for training and education. Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, an online course with focus on a health care need assessment was developed.

Research question and objective: How evaluate nursing students the online learning concept regarding (a) theoretical lectures, (b) exercise on the Geriatric Assessment and the (c) online simulation training to assess patient’s health care needs? The aim was to examine the feasibility of the online education concept as well as to identify strength and weakness to provide an optimized online education nursing program in the future.

Methods: The quantitative study using questionnaire-based interviews. The recruitment of nursing students was guided by following inclusion criteria (a) second-year nursing students participating in the module ‘caring for elderly patients’, (b) less than three missing lectures. Of all nursing students (N=127), n=48 met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight students participated. Quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. For analyzing possible relations between lectures evaluations aspects among each other, the Spearman correlation was used. Collected qualitative data were analyzed by the Kuckartz suggested qualitative content analysis using the software MAXQDA.

Results: Nursing students judged the overall course structure as very well (M 1.36, SD 0.48). Learning aims were clearly defined (M 1.61, SD 0.68), learning contents have been properly demonstrated (M 1.68, SD 0.67) and teaching methods contribute the understanding (M 1.63, SD 0.62). The exercise on the Geriatric Assessment promotes the internal learning process (M 1.67, SD 1.00) and the final online simulation training made lecture contents easier to understand (M 1.86, SD 0.89). Correlations were determined among the course structure and the

1.

clear definition of learning aims (rSp 0.566, p=0.002),

2.

presentations and references are made available (rSp 0.514, p=0.005),

3.

teaching methods contribute the understanding (rSp 0.535, p= 0.004) and

4.

an increase of individual learning ability (rSp 0.573, p=0.001). Implication for improvement proposes a reduction of nursing students team members from four or five to a work in teams of two nursing students.

Discussion: The study describes the feasibility of the online learning concept. To identify actual impact on patient’s health and on caregiver burden as well, further studies are needed.

Practical implications: Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, simulation nursing trainings for dementia create the best possible prerequisites for optimum dementia care.

Appeal for practice (science and/or care) in one sentence: The actual impact on patient’s health and on caregiver burden as well as on the student’s professional competence need to be studied in controlled prospective designs in the future.