Paramedic Students' Experiences Towards Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted education, necessitating a massive shift towards digital learning. As a result, healthcare, medical and nursing education have had to swiftly transfer and adapt to online (OL) instruction despite the substantial challenges this has present...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Discover STM Publishing Ltd
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://sjemed.com/?mno=207380 |
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| author | Omar Abdullah Al Alshaykh Ben Hannigan |
| author_facet | Omar Abdullah Al Alshaykh Ben Hannigan |
| author_sort | Omar Abdullah Al Alshaykh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted education, necessitating a massive shift towards digital learning. As a result, healthcare, medical and nursing education have had to swiftly transfer and adapt to online (OL) instruction despite the substantial challenges this has presented, given that healthcare education involves crucial hands-on skills, laboratory practice and clinical experience. Previous research investigated healthcare students' experiences with online learning for various healthcare professions during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, scarce evidence was found for the population of paramedic students. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the paramedic students' experiences with online learning during COVID-19, particularly by examining their facilitators and barriers to this new learning modality.
Objectives: This study has two intended outcomes. First, instructors and stakeholders will gain increased insights regarding students' OL experiences and identify the facilitators and barriers to their learning to initiate additional improvements. As a result, the instructional methods, learner competency and patients' safety might be enhanced. Second, the students will be able to examine their strengths and weaknesses using this new learning method and suggest future improvements.
Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was adopted to explore paramedic students' experiences with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling was utilized to recruit six students in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Data collection employed in-depth, semi-structured virtual interviews, which were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis was then used for data analysis.
Results: Eight main themes and four sub-themes were explored from the data. The main themes were: unfamiliarity requiring quick adaptation; lack of infrastructure hindering e-learning; troublesome learning clinical skills virtually; problematic communications within the online realm; difficulty maintaining active learning; online learning allows more flexibility and time; using e-tools effectively; and adapting blended learning approach. The analysis explored valuable findings regarding these students' learning facilitators and barriers alongside their suggestions for future improvements.
Conclusion: The study's findings provide crucial information for educators and stakeholders to improve online learning and ensure education quality that, in turn, could contribute to safer patient care. These findings may also help authorities understand students' online learning experiences and better prepare them for this mode of learning. [SJEMed 2025; 6(1.000): 084-084] |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3d6b01ca78fe4f4c8952b4b66a1ecb7c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1658-8487 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Discover STM Publishing Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d6b01ca78fe4f4c8952b4b66a1ecb7c2025-08-20T03:40:15ZengDiscover STM Publishing LtdSaudi Journal of Emergency Medicine1658-84872025-03-016108408410.24911/SJEMed.72-1719506961207380Paramedic Students' Experiences Towards Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive StudyOmar Abdullah Al Alshaykh0Ben Hannigan1Department of Emergency Medical Care, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia School of Healthcare Sciences, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United KingdomBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted education, necessitating a massive shift towards digital learning. As a result, healthcare, medical and nursing education have had to swiftly transfer and adapt to online (OL) instruction despite the substantial challenges this has presented, given that healthcare education involves crucial hands-on skills, laboratory practice and clinical experience. Previous research investigated healthcare students' experiences with online learning for various healthcare professions during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, scarce evidence was found for the population of paramedic students. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the paramedic students' experiences with online learning during COVID-19, particularly by examining their facilitators and barriers to this new learning modality. Objectives: This study has two intended outcomes. First, instructors and stakeholders will gain increased insights regarding students' OL experiences and identify the facilitators and barriers to their learning to initiate additional improvements. As a result, the instructional methods, learner competency and patients' safety might be enhanced. Second, the students will be able to examine their strengths and weaknesses using this new learning method and suggest future improvements. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was adopted to explore paramedic students' experiences with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling was utilized to recruit six students in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Data collection employed in-depth, semi-structured virtual interviews, which were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis was then used for data analysis. Results: Eight main themes and four sub-themes were explored from the data. The main themes were: unfamiliarity requiring quick adaptation; lack of infrastructure hindering e-learning; troublesome learning clinical skills virtually; problematic communications within the online realm; difficulty maintaining active learning; online learning allows more flexibility and time; using e-tools effectively; and adapting blended learning approach. The analysis explored valuable findings regarding these students' learning facilitators and barriers alongside their suggestions for future improvements. Conclusion: The study's findings provide crucial information for educators and stakeholders to improve online learning and ensure education quality that, in turn, could contribute to safer patient care. These findings may also help authorities understand students' online learning experiences and better prepare them for this mode of learning. [SJEMed 2025; 6(1.000): 084-084]https://sjemed.com/?mno=207380paramedic educationonline learningcovid-19 pandemicqualitative researchstudent experiencesfacilitators of online learningbarriers to online learningclinical skills trainingblended learning approachpatient safety |
| spellingShingle | Omar Abdullah Al Alshaykh Ben Hannigan Paramedic Students' Experiences Towards Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine paramedic education online learning covid-19 pandemic qualitative research student experiences facilitators of online learning barriers to online learning clinical skills training blended learning approach patient safety |
| title | Paramedic Students' Experiences Towards Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study |
| title_full | Paramedic Students' Experiences Towards Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study |
| title_fullStr | Paramedic Students' Experiences Towards Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Paramedic Students' Experiences Towards Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study |
| title_short | Paramedic Students' Experiences Towards Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study |
| title_sort | paramedic students apos experiences towards online learning during the covid 19 pandemic a qualitative descriptive study |
| topic | paramedic education online learning covid-19 pandemic qualitative research student experiences facilitators of online learning barriers to online learning clinical skills training blended learning approach patient safety |
| url | https://sjemed.com/?mno=207380 |
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