RGU to improve student nurses’ digital literacy

A new digital toolkit has been created as part of RGU’s innovative ‘Digital Literacy Project’, to enhance the digital skills of nursing students.

Researchers from RGU’s School of Creative and Cultural Business and School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice, assessed the digital literacy of nursing students at the end of 2021.

The team explored students' digital literacy skills across a range of competencies including digital well-being, digital innovation, digital learning and development and digital research.

The research, published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing recommended tailoring digital skills training so that students are empowered to meet the demands of an evolving digital healthcare landscape.

A new digital toolkit has been produced and course leaders are now assessing how to expand the training further by holding further focus groups with students.

Associate Professor, Dr Konstantina Martzoukou, who led the research said: “We wanted to assess the digital literacy of students across nursing, to ensure that we adequately equip our graduates with the digital skills required as health professionals.

“At the heart of the project is the need to ensure that digital literacy is comprehensively embedded throughout curricula to support students' success as learners and future professionals in higher education teaching programmes.

“RGU is committed to transforming the lives of people and communities and it is vital that we ensure that digital literacy is embedded throughout curricula, so that we can minimise digital inequalities and enhance learning for all.”

“The Royal College of Nursing has stated that technology is no longer a specialist issue and that every nurse should be an ‘e-nurse’, to ensure that patients, service users and carers benefit. RGU is committed to achieving this and that’s why we’ve developed a digital toolkit to support students and the academic community at RGU.”

Chloe Jackson, a final year student in Adult Nursing from Aberdeen, has used the digital toolkit. She said: “The digital guide is really helpful and will ensure student nurses and lecturers develop a wide range of digital skills. This will ultimately provide future nurses with contemporary skills to meet the demands of the digital era within healthcare which continues to expand.

“The toolkit developed by RGU is really inclusive and user friendly with lots of images that guide themes on every page. I’m confident that this will support student nurses, like myself, in their future careers.”

Professor Susan Dawkes, Dean for the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice, said: “As the main provider of nursing education in the North East Scotland, we are committed to supporting our nursing students so that they graduate with the skills and knowledge required for our modern integrated health and social care environments.

“We work closely with key stakeholders, including students, the NHS, independent sector partners, service users and carers to ensure that our teaching is contemporary, evidence-based and meets the needs of the health and social care services as well as the people who use these services. Technology has advanced significantly in recent years and its inclusion in delivery of healthcare is standard and so it is important that our students have the digital literacy skills to enable them to work as effective practitioners.”

Image 1 shows Chloe Jackson, final year Adult Nursing Student and image 2 shows  Dr Neil Johnston, Dr Fiona Work and Dr. Errol Luders (School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice) and students Adriana Owczarek, Maya Filipova-Erdem, Amelia Cooper, Eliza Mtete, Julie Langrill, and Sara Pogorzelska, (First year Mental Health Nursing Students) taking part in a focus group on the digital skills programme.