Using students’ smartphones to learn a nursing skill: Students’ perspectives

The increase in nursing students’ enrollment in post-secondary education, hospital restructuring and limited clinical placements have shifted nurses’ education to require more e-learning platforms. E-learning uses information and communication technologies to support interactions with content, learning activities and with others; and to facilitate self-reflection. Using smartphones’ video applications in a hybrid course can support learning. Most nursing students own smartphones and use them to create videos, however, their perspectives on using their smartphones to support learning a nursing skill is limited. This mixed method pilot study explored undergraduate nursing students’ perspectives on using their smartphones to record, and later receive feedback from their peers and faculty when learning a nursing skill.  Twenty-six students completed questionnaires and seven students participated in a follow-up focus group. Two overarching themes emerged: (a) technical and (b) adaptive challenges. Students identified technical challenges in using their devices and how this influenced knowledge application. Others highlighted that the activity helped them to reflect and relate to self, others and their environments. The clinical, educational, ethical and research implications of this teaching-learning strategy will be discussed.