In this phase of the project, a pilot study has been implemented to obtain results to understand the phenomenon of the use of the mobile app in practice placements. The data will be gathered about the aspects related to the use of the mobile app in practice placement as usability (use of mobile technology in practice), design (design of the application from the user’s perspective), content (contents of the Learning Toolbox during the practice period), and put it across at the learning activity, planned to be held on 28-31 May 2024 at TecnoCampus.
The objective of the learning activity is to bring together users of mobile technology in practice-based learning for an intensive evaluation of the pilot results. The participants will include students in practice placements, managers of these placements, academic tutors, and clinical tutors.
At local level, the project will allow students and tutors to integrate new learning strategies with digital tools in clinical practice training. They will have the opportunity to participate in the development of the mobile applications, in the pilot of the mobile application, and to incorporate new competencies into their curricula. At the end of the project, there will be an open access app with content related and personalized specifications for each healthcare center.
In the forthcoming project result 3, particularly during the practicum period (January-April 2024), nursing/medical students have implemented the new digital tool as an integral component of this project, the digitalization of learning in practice placement. This mobile application has been meticulously built up to enhance learning experience during clinical practices. Specifically, were tailored to support students throughout three pivotal stages of their practicum: 1) Facilitating the orientation and welcoming process. 2) Providing support during the feedback and reflective practice phases. 3) Assisting in the evaluation of learning objectives.
In the context of the Work Package 4, main leader of the pilot study, each participating country organised training sessions to students as well as healthcare professionals in order to know the Learning Toolbox (LTB) . Before the learning period at clinical placements, students were instructed to complete a pre and post questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of their practicum. In total, 148 pre-questionnaires and 52 post-questionnaires were completed.
The TecnoCampus Pompeu Fabra University:Â Successfully conducted two training sessions. The 8th of January was organised a training session for students and the 15th of January a training session for clinical nurses. Both sessions, were highly productive and effectively aligned with the objectives of implementing mobile technology in practical healthcare settings. At the same time, the pre-questionnaire was introduced and taught to the students. Post-questionnaires, were completed by students after their practice period. mes
Semi-structured interviews were conducted in collaboration with Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP). 3 clinical tutors, 1 link teacher and 1 nursing coordinator were interviewed on various days (April 10th, 11th, 12th, and 16th). Additionally, 5 nursing students from the 3rd and 4th year were interviewed on April 2nd, 2024.
The University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Medicine (Germany): A training session for the LTB was organised on 10th of April for students and 11th, 16th and 19th of April a training session for clinical tutors. About the semi-structured interviews, 4 clinical tutors will be interviewed, and 8 medical students from 4th year will be interviewed in the beginning of June.
The Medical University of Lublin (Poland): Training sessions for the LTB was organised for students and clinical mentors regularly before they start their clinical training (in a period from 26 February to 4th April). Regarding the semi-structured interviews, 3 clinical mentors were interviewed, and 6 nursing students.
The 4D pilot study has commenced the usage analysis of the Learning Toolbox (LTB), aimed at gathering essential data to comprehensively assess all aspects of the application. Upon completion, an accurate report will be launched, showcasing the findings in detail.