Mental Health Issues Among Farmers: An Online Continuing Education Program for Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Agricultural Mental Health
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Farmer mental health is often overlooked due to unique occupational stressors.
• Nurses require specialized knowledge to address the mental health needs of the farming population.
• Continuing education is crucial for updating nurses' skills in this area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an asynchronous online continuing education (CE) program.
• To enhance nurses' awareness and knowledge of occupationally related mental health issues in farmers.
• To improve the quality of mental health care provided to the farming community.

Main Methods:

• The ADDIE model guided the creation of the CE program.
• Articulate Storyline 3 was used to develop an interactive e-learning module.
• The program was delivered online, allowing for asynchronous access.

Main Results:

• 113 nurses completed the course, with 82.5% providing evaluation feedback.
• 84.1% of participants reported the course met their expectations.
• High satisfaction was reported regarding clarity, organization, and achievement of learning objectives, including identifying farmer stress, recognizing manifestations, understanding mental health status, and applying nursing practices.

Conclusions:

• Nurses equipped with cultural understanding and knowledge of farming stressors can provide more effective care.
• This online educational program demonstrates potential to significantly improve mental health support for farmers and their families.
• Further integration of such programs can enhance mental health nursing practices within agricultural communities.