Learning ICT Supported Nursing for Self-Management of Patients Erasmus Project

Project Title

Learning ICT Supported Nursing for Self-Management of Patients

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The primary context of the project is nursing education and it is focused on curriculum development. The need for patients’ self-management support is increasing in the current aging Europe. Therefore, a new approach in health care is needed to effectively face the growing demand for tailor-made and patient-centered care in the coming years, by providing smarter care, from a distance (online or digital), with more focused on prevention and early detection of chronic conditions as well as treatment compliance.

The project consortium consisted of five institutions and 12 participants, all were teachers from various fields of nursing education. The teachers were from Portugal, Slovenia, Finland (Karelia, TAMK), and Belgium. In the consortium, Southern, Eastern, Middle and Northern areas of Europe were present.

The main objective of the project was to develop the DigiNurse Model (IO1) for nursing education. The model offers a formally structured concept for incorporation of learning of the digital skills into the nursing curriculum. In addition, it consists of concrete objectives for students’ learning digital skills needed in coaching of self-management of patients with chronic condition. Furthermore, evaluation criteria for digital skills and coaching of self-management are developed. The objectives included teachers’ and students’ training to use the model.

In the Kick off meeting, November 2017 (M1, WP1, WP2), the consortium chose the tools and methods for communicating and started to prepare the quality plan of the project. The development of the model started and the concepts for literature review were chosen. TAMK conducted the review on the best practices in teaching and learning digital nursing, Karelia on the concept of digital coaching in health care, TMK on coaching techniques, Slovenia on supporting self-management, digital coaching and empowerment and ESEnfC on the experimental research applied to health care technologies. The next step was the development of a questionnaire for students on their perceptions of digital competences. The questions were elaborated based on the conceptual models used, namely the Technology Acceptance Model and pedagogical models. The results provided conceptual support to the DigiNurse model. The project participants chose the pedagogical bases and the key concepts of DigiNurse model, defined digital learning goals of the model and prepared piloting plans. The consortium defined evaluation criteria for digital competencies, too. Pilots of the components of the model started with students at a national and later at an international level. Feedback on pilots was collected both orally and using questionnaires. Finally, the DigiNurse model was ready and got its visual appearance (WP2,3,4). The number of trained students was N=552 (including international pilot), and the number of trained teachers, mentors and researchers N=165.

DigiNurse Model is supported by the DigiNurse Community, the second intellectual output (IO2, WP5). DigiNurse The Community consists of teaching and training professionals in the field of nursing. It brings together the professionals and experts who are interested in modern digital methods of nursing education. The community serves as a platform to spread new ideas and digital innovations in the nursing field. At the end the DigiNurse community consisted of a. 50 professional members. Due to the new community members of DigiCare (started 2019) and SmartNurse projects (started 2020), education and curriculum development of students and teachers continues through the community for several years. This supports the sustainability of the project. Invitations for membership from other institutions and countries has been initiated through social media.

The third project result (intellectual output) included guidelines (IO3) that offer online information about the application of the model and tools and methods for teaching and learning digital nursing. The guidelines form a guide document to get the most benefit out of the DigiNurse model. In the second project year the project members decided to publish an e-book. It includes the best practices in using the model, practical advice on how to apply the model and embed the model into the curriculum.

At the beginning of the project, the consortium members started dissemination activities (WP5, see Annex Dissemination). Also, social media was used; DigiNurse Community and DigiNurse Community Group websites, WhatsApp, face-book (TAMK), Intranets, etc. Multiplier events for dissemination were held during the third year. DigiNurse Community workshop was organised by ESEnfC and DigiNurse Community Seminar by Karelia, both of them in 2020. Management and Quality Assurance meeting was held as a webinar Nov 30 to Dec1 (WP6).

According to students and teachers feedback the model provides a good way to learn and teach digital coaching of patients. A long-term impact is neither possible nor relevant to measure during this project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 309962 Eur

Project Coordinator

TAMPEREEN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY & Country: FI

Project Partners

• UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI
• THOMAS MORE KEMPEN VZW
• KARELIA AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
• ESCOLA SUPERIOR DE ENFERMAGEM DE COIMBRA