Preparing nurses on-line to work off-line: Experiences gained from teaching final year undergraduate nursing students in Ireland

The purpose of this paper is to present methodologies employed and experiences gained as a result of delivering a 12 week program to final year nursing students in Ireland. This program aimed to prepare a cohort of student nurses (n=41) to meet challenges offered by recommendations issued by the National Health Service Executive in Ireland. These recommendations focus on managing patient related data using Information Technology. Two pedagogical approaches were taken: web-based and classroom based. As this was the students' first experience with this type of learning, they consented to participate in a survey on their experiences during this course. Responses were overwhelmingly positive. Furthermore, students displayed that they had engaged with the material provided for them and developed a deep understanding of the topic being studied. This was evident in their written formative and summative work. Recommendations from this program include preparing nursing students throughout Ireland to meet recommendations issued by the HSE and that these types of teaching strategies may be used to facilitate students develop a deeper understanding of a chosen subject.