Teaching in the Digital Age—Developing a Support Program for Nursing Education Providers: Design-Based Research

BackgroundHealth care systems and the nursing profession worldwide are being transformed by technology and digitalization. Nurses acquire digital competence through their own experience in daily practice, but also from education and training; nursing education providers thus...

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Main Authors: Stefan Walzer, Carolin Barthel, Ronja Pazouki, Helga Marx, Sven Ziegler, Peter Koenig, Christiane Kugler, Stefan Jobst
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2025-01-01
Series:JMIR Formative Research
Online Access:https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e66109
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author Stefan Walzer
Carolin Barthel
Ronja Pazouki
Helga Marx
Sven Ziegler
Peter Koenig
Christiane Kugler
Stefan Jobst
author_facet Stefan Walzer
Carolin Barthel
Ronja Pazouki
Helga Marx
Sven Ziegler
Peter Koenig
Christiane Kugler
Stefan Jobst
author_sort Stefan Walzer
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundHealth care systems and the nursing profession worldwide are being transformed by technology and digitalization. Nurses acquire digital competence through their own experience in daily practice, but also from education and training; nursing education providers thus play an important role. While nursing education providers have some level of digital competence, there is a need for ongoing training and support for them to develop more advanced skills and effectively integrate technology into their teaching. ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a needs-based support program for nursing education providers to foster digital competencies and to test this intervention. MethodsWe used a design-based research approach, incorporating iterative development with expert consultation to create and evaluate a support program for nursing education providers. Focus groups were conducted online to assess needs, and thematic content analysis was used to derive key insights. The support program was then refined through expert feedback and subjected to a feasibility and satisfaction test, with participant evaluations analyzed descriptively. ResultsSix main categories emerged from the focus groups, highlighting key areas, including the use of digital technology, ongoing support needs, and the current state of digitalization in nursing education. The support program was developed based on these findings, with expert validation leading to adjustments in timing, content prioritization, and platform integration. Preliminary testing showed good overall satisfaction with the support program, although participants suggested improvements in content relevance and digital platform usability. ConclusionsAlthough the feasibility test showed high satisfaction with the support program, low participation rates and limited perceived knowledge gain were major concerns. The results suggest that while the program was well received, further refinements, including a focus on competency-based approaches and addressing workplace barriers, are needed to increase participation and effectiveness of such interventions. The findings of this research can be used as a basis for the development of similar programs in other educational and health care contexts.
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spelling doaj-art-37d904bd9fbd4a07b25cfec4b5b26c022025-01-15T21:33:50ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Formative Research2561-326X2025-01-019e6610910.2196/66109Teaching in the Digital Age—Developing a Support Program for Nursing Education Providers: Design-Based ResearchStefan Walzerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8748-5244Carolin Barthelhttps://orcid.org/0009-0001-4932-0617Ronja Pazoukihttps://orcid.org/0009-0001-6412-7524Helga Marxhttps://orcid.org/0009-0006-6038-2831Sven Zieglerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1932-0787Peter Koenighttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4376-0304Christiane Kuglerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1422-2718Stefan Jobsthttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0160-2391 BackgroundHealth care systems and the nursing profession worldwide are being transformed by technology and digitalization. Nurses acquire digital competence through their own experience in daily practice, but also from education and training; nursing education providers thus play an important role. While nursing education providers have some level of digital competence, there is a need for ongoing training and support for them to develop more advanced skills and effectively integrate technology into their teaching. ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a needs-based support program for nursing education providers to foster digital competencies and to test this intervention. MethodsWe used a design-based research approach, incorporating iterative development with expert consultation to create and evaluate a support program for nursing education providers. Focus groups were conducted online to assess needs, and thematic content analysis was used to derive key insights. The support program was then refined through expert feedback and subjected to a feasibility and satisfaction test, with participant evaluations analyzed descriptively. ResultsSix main categories emerged from the focus groups, highlighting key areas, including the use of digital technology, ongoing support needs, and the current state of digitalization in nursing education. The support program was developed based on these findings, with expert validation leading to adjustments in timing, content prioritization, and platform integration. Preliminary testing showed good overall satisfaction with the support program, although participants suggested improvements in content relevance and digital platform usability. ConclusionsAlthough the feasibility test showed high satisfaction with the support program, low participation rates and limited perceived knowledge gain were major concerns. The results suggest that while the program was well received, further refinements, including a focus on competency-based approaches and addressing workplace barriers, are needed to increase participation and effectiveness of such interventions. The findings of this research can be used as a basis for the development of similar programs in other educational and health care contexts.https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e66109
spellingShingle Stefan Walzer
Carolin Barthel
Ronja Pazouki
Helga Marx
Sven Ziegler
Peter Koenig
Christiane Kugler
Stefan Jobst
Teaching in the Digital Age—Developing a Support Program for Nursing Education Providers: Design-Based Research
JMIR Formative Research
title Teaching in the Digital Age—Developing a Support Program for Nursing Education Providers: Design-Based Research
title_full Teaching in the Digital Age—Developing a Support Program for Nursing Education Providers: Design-Based Research
title_fullStr Teaching in the Digital Age—Developing a Support Program for Nursing Education Providers: Design-Based Research
title_full_unstemmed Teaching in the Digital Age—Developing a Support Program for Nursing Education Providers: Design-Based Research
title_short Teaching in the Digital Age—Developing a Support Program for Nursing Education Providers: Design-Based Research
title_sort teaching in the digital age developing a support program for nursing education providers design based research
url https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e66109
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