Do Accelerated Students in Nursing Benefit from Face-to-Face Support when Online Support is Available?

Abstract

We have demonstrated that the diploma-entry accelerated students in a nursing program need additional support at the start of their studies in bioscience and pharmacology to prevent high rates of attrition. This support consists of a formative, online activity of resource notes and quizzes covering key concepts in bioscience and pharmacology, and a face-to-face workshop addressing academic skills and reviewing bioscience material, presented to the students in orientation week. Subsequently, we developed an online eBook: Getting Started in Bioscience, Pharmacology and Microbiology; https://sites.google.com/site/gettingstartedinbioscience/ The aim of the present study was to determine whether it was necessary to provide both the face-to-face workshop/review lectures and the eBook, as support for nursing students undertaking the biosciences and pharmacology. In order to do this, firstly, we evaluated the eBook showing it was well received by the both accelerated and traditional students. Secondly, we evaluated the face-to-face workshop/review lectures in 2016, when the students had access to the eBook, and this showed high appreciation by the students. Finally, we compared the analysis of the face-to-face workshop/review lectures in 2016 with the analysis in 2011, which was prior to the eBook, and showed that the students’ appreciation of the face-to-face workshop/review lectures was not altered by the introduction of the eBook. Thus, continuing face-to-face support for nursing students prior to studying bioscience and pharmacology, despite the introduction of an eBook, may be worthwhile.