Using e-learning to educate health professionals in the management of children’s pain.

1. Using e-learning to educate health professionals in the management of children’s pain. Bernadette Burns – Senior Lecturer Faculty of Health & Social Care University of Salford Denise Jonas – Lecturer/practitioner in Children’s Pain Management Faculty of Health & Social Care University of Salford & CMMC NHS Trust

2. Rationale • The majority of health professionals accessing post qualifying nursing courses are female, working full-time with significant family commitments. • These health professionals experience difficulty accessing further education due to increased patient workload, national shortage of nurses reduction in budgets and other personal commitments. (Cook et al 2004, Honey 2004) • Due to these issues many higher educational institutes are experiencing difficulties with recruitment and retention Burns & Jonas 2007

3. Stakeholders • Recent development of a market economy in higher education has resulted in the need to tailor our product to the customers namely students, employers and commissioning bodies. (Janes 2006) • There is increased expectation from government, stakeholders and employers that e-learning is a normal part of life-long learning Burns & Jonas 2007

4. Educational drivers for children’s pain management • Inadequate nursing knowledge related to pain continues to be documented(Seers et al 2006) • Children’s National Service Framework emphasises the importance of education in all aspects of children’s pain management(DOH 2003). • Governments around the world affirm that children have the right to the best pain management possible and put mechanisms in place to ensure that research findings are a feature of daily practice. (Finley et al 2005) • Health care professionals are the key 24 hour providers of acute pain management in hospital settings (Coulling 2005) Burns & Jonas 2007

5. The Educational Vision • Implementation of the Knowledge Skills Framework has accelerated the demand for health professionals to have up-to date knowledge and skills related to their role (DOH 2004). • Augmented transition within the nursing context towards lifelong learning and a demand for continuous professional development (CPD). • NHS becomes more reliant on Information Technology (IT) as a tool for communication and education • A need to develop generic IT skills amongst qualified health professionals to support their short term academic studies but also for their long term health careers. Burns & Jonas 2007

6. Progressing the vision • Faculty – first healthcare e-learning module • Link with IT support division • HFCE funding • Blended e-learning • Expertise of module team Burns & Jonas 2007

7. Redesign module content • The revised module content aimed to develop the practitioner’s knowledge base and decision making skills surrounding their clinical competency when caring for children in pain whist working collaboratively • When moving over to e-learning tutors needed to develop skills in using on-line content and change from the more traditional face-to-face role (Armitage & O’Leary 2003, Wharrad et al 2005). • Yet our experiences reflected the findings of Cook et al (2004) who found that staff were often expected to develop skills with little or no experience of what was needed. • Learning outcomes embraced IT Burns & Jonas 2007

8. Module content • Students accessing the module would be representative of many different areas of the health service. • Core elements of content • A range of on-line content to enable flexibility of choice synonymous to the students practice area. • On-line sessions would include signposting to useful websites, embedded research articles, video media and Nuggets Burns & Jonas 2007

9. VLE site design • Speechi • Course genie • Nuggets • Video streaming • Consent for video and internet resources Burns & Jonas 2007

10. Burns & Jonas 2007

11. ‘Going Live’ • IT support annual leave • NHS firewalls • Limited IT skills and difficulties performing basic IT tasks • Computer hardware • Student engagement Burns & Jonas 2007

12. Sept 2006 cohort • 18 students enrolled on module • 9 single module students • one student returned to nursing course previous year no theoretical study for last 12 years. • Students from variety of locations, especially one flew in from Norfolk. Burns & Jonas 2007

13. Student evaluations – theoretical content • Lots of information and links to articles also module leaders frequently put notices on blackboard • Lecturers experts in the field and still practicing nurses • I liked that each weekly session was different and covered the topic thoroughly • Teaching packages were great with plenty of reference articles Burns & Jonas 2007

14. Student evaluations - accessibility • Needed no child care • Online - not having to travel to Manchester every week. • Distance learning is a terrific idea for a busy working single mum like myself…. • That you could complete module on-line rather than travel to university every week. Burns & Jonas 2007

15. Student evaluations – key skills • …. taught me computer skills • Easy to access university blackboard as I did not have many computer skills • Being able to do work at your own pace. • Learning from home, managing the time better to access teaching packages when I needed Burns & Jonas 2007

16. Student evaluations - Tutor support • Even though e-learning teacher support was excellent and you were able to access teachers when needed. • I appreciated being able to contact tutors at any time useful • Tutors have been very supportive they have communicated using personal and university emails, they have responded to all questions asked…. Burns & Jonas 2007

17. Student evaluations – dislike isolation • I do not enjoy e-learning and there was little group participation via blackboard – prefer group discussions in classroom setting • Lack of interaction with other members of the group • Not a lot of contact with other people • Sometime through e-learning didn’t see the group enough Burns & Jonas 2007

18. Student evaluations – independent learning • Open learning – need to be strict with self, hard when get home and get interruptions • Some sessions were hard to understand especially physiology of pain • Found it hard to do work as no set day in college found myself doing it late at night when my son was in bed. Burns & Jonas 2007

19. ‘No study time allocated by my manager’ • Lack of time to work on the course was the greatest barrier Atack & Rankin (2002) • Major issues with lack of time Mason & Wheller (2002) • 40% withdrawal due to increased pressure of work Jones et al (2004) • 60% employees have difficulty finding time to access online courses. Griffiths (2002) Burns & Jonas 2007

20. However…………….You can never satisfy some people • Disliked the Parking problems ! Burns & Jonas 2007

21. Changes • Pre-registration information • On-line registration • On-line assessment • Discussion board • Develop core content and expand choice/options Burns & Jonas 2007

22. Conclusion • Frustrating & extremely time consuming • Working by trial and error • Not all students like it However • Suitable medium for post qualifying working health professionals • Hopefully continue to attract increased student numbers • We have become IT experts as well as some students! Future • Aim to be fully online in order for module to be accessed by wider audience Burns & Jonas 2007