Using e-learning to Using e-learning to educate health educate health

professionals in the professionals in the management of management of children’s pain.children’s pain.

Bernadette Burns – Senior LecturerBernadette Burns – Senior LecturerFaculty of Health & Social Care

University of SalfordDenise Jonas – Lecturer/practitioner in Children’s Pain ManagementDenise Jonas – Lecturer/practitioner in Children’s Pain Management

Faculty of Health & Social Care University of Salford & CMMC NHS Trust

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RationaleRationale• 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

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StakeholdersStakeholders• 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

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Educational drivers for children’s pain managementEducational 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)

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The Educational VisionThe 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.

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Progressing the visionProgressing the vision• Faculty – first healthcare e-learning

module• Link with IT support division• HFCE funding • Blended e-learning• Expertise of module team

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Redesign module contentRedesign 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

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Module contentModule 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

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VLE site designVLE site design

• Speechi• Course genie• Nuggets• Video streaming• Consent for video and internet resources

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‘‘Going Live’Going Live’

• IT support annual leave• NHS firewalls• Limited IT skills and difficulties performing

basic IT tasks • Computer hardware• Student engagement

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Sept 2006 cohortSept 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.

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Student evaluations – theoretical contentStudent 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

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Student evaluations - accessibilityStudent 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.

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Student evaluations – key skillsStudent 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

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Student evaluations - Tutor supportStudent 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….

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Student evaluations – dislike isolationStudent 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

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Student evaluations – independent learningStudent 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.

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‘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)

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However…………….You can However…………….You can never satisfy some peoplenever satisfy some people

• Disliked the Parking problems !

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ChangesChanges• Pre-registration information • On-line registration• On-line assessment• Discussion board• Develop core content and expand

choice/options

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ConclusionConclusion• Frustrating & extremely time consuming• Working by trial and error• Not all students like it

However 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!FutureFuture

• Aim to be fully online in order for module to be accessed by wider audience