Nurse Educator's experiences and challenges with online teaching: A qualitative descriptive study.

Introduction: During the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many educational institutions faced the challenge of providing and implementing online education. Despite this challenge, most adopted online education systems to ensure that the teaching and learning process continued. This study aimed to explore nursing educators' experiences related to adopting online-only teaching during the (COVID-19) pandemic, providing nursing students with the best learning experiences, and preparing faculty members to teach online. Method: This qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured interviews from June 2020 to September 2020. Using purposive sampling, 12 nursing educators in Saudi Arabia who taught university courses online during COVID-19 were recruited. They were selected based on their teaching experience in undergraduate and postgraduate degree nursing programs. Results: Thematic analysis revealed an overarching theme-faculty challenges-and three sub-themes-emotional, technical, and educational challenges. Secondary sub-themes comprised four challenges that the nursing faculty faced-using online platforms, accessibility, cheating, and dealing with students' clinical practice-which were found to be interconnected and interrelated. Discussion: Most nursing educators had to shift to online distance teaching suddenly; thus, they faced several challenges related to online teaching, e-learning literacy, classroom management, and connectivity as they transitioned to digitalization. To address these issues, this study recommends that university management organize training programs for educators to help them more effectively conduct online classes. These findings will be valuable for universities, policymakers, designers, and producers to enhance the implementation of their e-learning systems.

A Cross-Sectional Study of General Nutrition Knowledge among Nursing Students in the UAE.

Background: Adolescence is a crucial time for establishing long-lasting healthy habits, but many university students often engage in unhealthy eating behaviors. Increased independence, social influences, and mental stress all play a role in leading to poor dietary choices that can impact overall health and well-being. It is important to have a good grasp of nutrition to make informed food choices and avoid the development of chronic illnesses. Purpose: To assess the nutrition knowledge of nursing students and examine the interconnections between participants' beliefs about diet, disease, and weight management. Methods: : A total of 100 nursing students participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Data gathering was conducted from March 2023 to May 2023 at a nursing college in the UAE. Participating students completed a self-reported validated revised general nutrition knowledge questionnaire (GNKQ-R). Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation were used for analysis, along with univariate and multivariate analyses as a statistical methodology to examine individual variables within the dataset independently. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale in this study is 0.880. A cut-off point of 50 percent correctness was employed to signify a high level of knowledge. Results: All participating students were female, with the majority (94%) being single. Most students (68%) had a normal mass index of 23.6, whereas 32% were overweight. The analysis showed that more than half of the students (57%) rated their overall health condition as good. The analysis also found that the only variable detected to predict the good nutrition knowledge level among studied students was having children less than 18 in the same family. Conclusion: The results of the current study indicate that future wellness actions should prioritize increasing students' general nutrition knowledge while also considering individual and academic factors impacting NK in college.

Relationship between digital capabilities and academic performance: the mediating effect of self-efficacy.

AIMS: To assess digital capabilities and academic performance among nursing students and investigate the mediating role of students' self-efficacy. BACKGROUND: In the context of education and technology, digital capabilities, self-efficacy, and academic performance among nursing students are interconnected concepts. Students who use their digital capabilities and competencies combined with their belief in the ability to efficiently perform learning tasks could improve their academic endeavors. Nevertheless, insufficient consideration has been placed on research understanding of the mediating roles and broad elements that influence their relationships. METHODS: A cross-sectional, correlational, descriptive, and quantitative study was established. During the 2022-23 academic year, data were gathered from 200 students. The Hayes Process Model 4 macro was employed to investigate the role of students' self-efficacy mediating effect on the association between digital capabilities and academic performance. RESULTS: The digital capability level and self-efficacy level were high. Additionally, the academic performance level was moderate. The mediation analysis revealed that the direct effect of digital capabilities on student performance in the presence of the mediator was significant (b = 0.0063, p = 0.022). Hence, self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between digital capabilities and student performance. CONCLUSION: The study emphasized the importance of improving students' digital capabilities that enhance their confidence and self-actualization. In addition, nursing students are encouraged to improve their sense of self-efficacy throughout their tenure in college because it is a predictor of future success.

Saudi nursing students' graduate program experiences from reality shock to reaching desired outcomes: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Graduate students across disciplines encounter countless academic, social, individual, and financial challenges. Research in nursing has shown that nursing students have trouble during their graduate studies. However, this phenomenon has not yet been explored in Saudi Arabia. PURPOSE: To explore the obstacles faced by graduate nursing students; assess the effects of these difficulties on their academic, social, and psychological life; determine how the students overcame these challenges; and recognize their needs throughout the graduate program. METHODS: We used a qualitative descriptive method to interview 14 graduate nursing students from various graduate programs in Saudi Arabia. All interviews were conducted on Zoom platform and were audio recorded. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The findings revealed that graduate nursing students went through three particular stages during the program. These were reality shock, accepting challenges, and reaching desired outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings will help decision makers in supporting and designing programs that facilitate graduate students' experiences. It will also help in improving the quality of graduate programs, by attracting and retaining more Saudis to pursue their graduate studies.

Nursing Education Challenges from Saudi Nurse Educators' and Leaders' Perspectives: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Aim To explore the challenges in nursing education in Saudi Arabia from nurse educators' and leaders' perspectives. Background Saudi Arabia considerably lacks Saudi nurses and most nurses in Saudi healthcare facilities are expatriates with diverse academic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. The perception regarding nurses' profession and their low status in Saudi Arabia affect the nursing profession negatively, leading to staff insufficiency. Understanding the difficulties of the nursing profession could help intervene accordingly, in encouraging students to pursue a career in nursing. Methods An exploratory qualitative method was used. Three Saudi nursing educators and four leaders were interviewed. They were recruited through purposive sampling. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings Participants indicated that nursing education in Saudi Arabia is facing multiple challenges requiring serious attention from Saudi leaders. The challenges were divided to four themes and different categories; cultural challenges, educational challenges, organizational challenges (weak nursing authority, lack of acknowledgement for Saudi nurses), and work challenges (poor working environment, language barrier). Discussion The challenges that face nursing education in Saudi Arabia were mainly at three levels: management, system, and social. These challenges were the reasons for Saudi nurses to leave the profession. Conclusion This study revealed some of the challenges facing nursing education in Saudi Arabia. These challenges are not unique to Saudi Arabia but knowing about these challenges will help nurse educators and leaders to improve nursing programs, enhance students' clinical experiences, and promote nursing profession in Saudi Arabia.