Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
Impact of e-learning on nurses' and student nurses knowledge, skills, and satisfaction: a systematic review and
Mari Lahti1, Heli Hätönen, Maritta Välimäki
1University of Turku, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing Science, Turku, Finland.
Objective:
To review the impact of e-learning on nurses' and nursing student's knowledge, skills and satisfaction related to e-learning.
Design:
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) to assess the impact of e-learning on nurses' and nursing student's knowledge, skills and satisfaction. Electronic databases including MEDLINE (1948-2010), CINAHL (1981-2010), Psychinfo (1967-2010) and Eric (1966-2010) were searched in May 2010 and again in December 2010. All RCT studies evaluating the effectiveness of e-learning and differentiating between traditional learning methods among nurses were included.
Data Extraction And Quality Assessment:
Data was extracted related to the purpose of the trial, sample, measurements used, index test results and reference standard. An extraction tool developed for Cochrane reviews was used. Methodological quality of eligible trials was assessed.
Data Synthesis:
11 trials were eligible for inclusion in the analysis.
Results:
We identified 11 randomized controlled trials including a total of 2491 nurses and student nurses'. First, the random effect size for four studies showed some improvement associated with e-learning compared to traditional techniques on knowledge. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.39, MD 0.44, 95% CI -0.57 to 1.46). Second, one study reported a slight impact on e-learning on skills, but the difference was not statistically significant, either (p=0.13, MD 0.03, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.69). And third, no results on nurses or student nurses' satisfaction could be reported as the statistical data from three possible studies were not available.
Conclusion:
Overall, there was no statistical difference between groups in e-learning and traditional learning relating to nurses' or student nurses' knowledge, skills and satisfaction. E-learning can, however, offer an alternative method of education. In future, more studies following the CONSORT and QUOROM statements are needed to evaluate the effects of these interventions.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Current Trends in Nursing II
01:20Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching III: Evaluation and Documentation
Nurses can use several methods to evaluate patient outcomes. For example, oral questions can assess cognitive learning, patient...
01:15Nursing Evaluation
Section...
01:28Current Trends in Nursing I
01:30National Nursing Organizations II
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...
01:18The Scientific Method in Nursing Process
When using research findings to change practice, one must understand the process used to guide a study. The scientific method is a systematic, step-by-step process that supports the data's validity, reliability, and generalizability. As a result, findings can be safely...