The integration of an online module on student learning

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Cardiovascular Health
• Patient Self-Management

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) is a widespread and expensive condition.
• Effective patient self-management is crucial for reducing HF rehospitalization rates.
• Nursing students require specialized knowledge to manage HF patients effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an online interactive heart failure module on baccalaureate nursing students' self-management knowledge.
• To assess improvements in understanding key HF self-management components.

Main Methods:

• A pretest/posttest design was employed to measure knowledge changes.
• 235 baccalaureate nursing students participated in the study.
• An online interactive heart failure module was integrated into a medical-surgical nursing course.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in heart failure self-management knowledge was observed post-module implementation (P < .05).
• Mean posttest scores indicated enhanced understanding, ranging from 13.82 to 15.93.
• Students struggled with specific areas: weight monitoring, NSAID use, reporting symptoms, and potassium-based salt substitutes.

Conclusions:

• The online module effectively enhanced nursing students' knowledge of heart failure self-management.
• Identified knowledge gaps in specific HF self-management areas persist.
• Further educational strategies, like case scenarios, are recommended to solidify comprehensive understanding for students and nurses.