JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The nursing profession faces pressing challenges, such as a nurse shortage and inadequate nursing education capacity. In Norway, 50% of nursing education is conducted in clinical practice and is limited by the scarcity of available clinical placements near educational institutions. Furthermore, several research studies report communication problems between nursing students, nurse educators, and nurse preceptors in clinical practice as well as challenges related to the uneven quality of nurse preceptors’ guidance competence and limited oversight of nursing students’ clinical practice by nurse educators. These challenges, which affect the quality of nursing education in clinical practice and the supply of in-demand professionals, have been highlighted for several years. Recent studies show, however, that they have only worsened, so something must be done to move the trend in a positive direction.

Objective:

To design and develop a guidance and assessment app to meet the challenges reported in the nursing profession and education. The app should improve communication, support guidance, stimulate critical thinking, and ensure the structured evaluation of nursing students in clinical practice while increasing the flexibility, quality, and efficiency of nursing education.

Methods:

This study employed a multidisciplinary, user-participatory design. Overall, the project group comprised 23 stakeholders, including 5 researchers, 2 app developers, 1 pedagogical advisor, and 15 user representative (4 educators, 6 preceptors, and 5 students), who participated in a user-centered development process that included workshops, app content development, and prototype testing.

Results:

This study resulted in the creation of the Technology-Optimized Practice Process in Nursing (TOPP-N) guidance and assessment app, a supportive tool for nursing students, nurse preceptors, and nurse educators in clinical practice. The development process included the app’s name, logo, promotional material, guidance and assessment module, technical architecture, security, and privacy.

Conclusions:

This study offers insights into the development of an evidence-based technological tool to support nursing students, nurse preceptors, and nurse educators in clinical practice. The developed app has the potential to meet several challenges reported in clinical practice in the nursing profession and education. After a rigorous development process, we conclude that the TOPP-N guidance and assessment app prototype is ready for usability testing in a simulated environment context.