Mobile Cooperation During the Clinical Practicum

The aim of this study is:

1. to evaluate the effectiveness of the nursing student - nurse teacher mobile cooperation (MC) during the clinical practicum,
2. to measure the usability of the mobile application.

The detailed research questions and hypothesis of this study are as follows:

1. What is the impact of MC on the nurse competence level of nursing students evaluated by work role, teaching-coaching and therapeutic interventions?

   H1: Nursing students' using MC will have a stronger change in the self-assessed level of nurse competence than those using standard cooperation (SC).

   H2: Nursing students' using MC will have higher level of nurse competence assessed by mentors after clinical practicum than those using SC.
2. What is the impact of MC on the clinical self-efficacy level of nursing students?

   H3: Nursing students' using mobile cooperation will have a stronger change in the self-assessed level of self-efficacy in clinical performance than those using standard cooperation.
3. What is the impact of mobile cooperation on the satisfaction level of nursing students evaluated by supervisory relationship, pedagogical atmosphere on the ward and the role of nurse teacher?

   H4: Nursing students' using mobile cooperation will have higher level of satisfaction with the supervisory relationship, pedagogical atmosphere on the ward and the role of nurse teacher after clinical practicum than those using standard cooperation.
4. What is the perceived usability of the mobile application by the intervention group?

The ultimate goal is to establish a modern, innovative solution for the nursing student - nurse teacher cooperation to support and facilitate the clinical learning of nursing students during the clinical practicum.

The study takes place in surgical and internal medicine wards and related specialties and subspecialties in five academic hospitals of one hospital district in Finland.The setting of the study have similar learning environments and mentors.

The sample size was determined with power analysis and the target sample size is 50 subjects per group i.e. 100 in total.

All eligible student participants are identified from the student group lists and the employment service database (Jobstep) of the polytechnic.

Students are recruited by means of direct invitation at the polytechnic. The recruitment is continued until number of eligible participants desired is achieved. The mentors from the wards, supervising the students during the study, are informed of the study and recruited by direct invitations by the researcher.

Students in the intervention group use MC during the 5 week clinical practicum, while participants in the control group use SC.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

1. pre-registration nursing student in one polytechnic undertaking nursing, midwifery or public health nursing degree programme,
2. at least second-year students,
3. entering a five week internal medicine or surgical clinical practicum at the participating hospital district,
4. entering the clinical practicum in spring term 2015,
5. access to a smartphone or tablet PC running iOS or Android OS.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. pre-registration nursing students undertaking critical care nursing degree program,
2. is unable to enter the clinical practicum in spring term 2015,
3. has not access to an appropriate smartphone or tablet PC,
4. is unwilling to provide consent.