Examining the readiness of nurse educators to adopt technology-based education in a college of nursing within KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Oketch (2013: 16) explains technology-centred training as the successful usage of computerised resources in training of student nurses, for example sound, pictures and computer graphics. Technology-centred training aims to create an interactive teaching and learning environment based on the use of computers and the internet (Mosa, Mahrin and Ibrrahim 2016: 113). Technology-centred training promotes workability of instructional processes and enables connections between academic staff and upcoming professional nurses. Preparedness for technology-centred training refers to an evaluation of how prepared a college is, to accept and apply technology in training of student nurses (Mosa, Mahrin and Ibrrahim 2016: 113). Academic staff has to be on the forefront with latest’s fastly transforming technology, and institutions that have applied the practice of technology in education are observing many advantages such as cost effectiveness, adjustability, efficiency and improved usefulness (Hall 2015: 25). The purpose of an investigation was to establish the preparedness of nurse educators to accept technology-centred training within a college of nursing in KZN. A quantitative descriptive cross sectional survey research design was used. Data was collected via self-administered questionnaires from nurse educators and clinical facilitators on 10 KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing KZNCN campuses using nonprobability, purposive sampling. The research study identified respondents who were all actively involved in teaching of student nurses. The majority of respondents in this study were Black females, working as lecturers in urban campuses who had a Bachelor’s degree and more than 13 years of experience. Clinical facilitators intended to use technology more than lecturers. Respondents with between three and six years experience were more agreeable to using technology. All respondents were positively inclined to using technology although there was some regional variation. Nurse educators are ready to use technology in their teaching. The findings of this study indicated that the nurse educators are ready to adopt technology-based education. However, the KZNCN needs to support this process by improving the availability of resources and facilitating the conditions. The College has to be on par with other tertiary institutions with regard to the use of technologybased education as there is a transition from the status of a public nursing institution to a higher education and training institution.