Building on the increased use of video communication technology (VCT) in health care, this report looks at the response and efficacy of using VCT across a region to cross continuum groups of nurses.
The advantages of VCT for education has been recognized as a highly flexible instrument to reach students across a variety of locations, while being adaptive enough to address a wide range of learning modes (Gill, Parker & Richardson, 2006). There is considerable potential for reducing equity issues by ensuring access to education, consistency of care provision, and increased knowledge and understanding between care and social support providers
The Nursing and Midwifery Professional Development Unit (PDU) at the Waikato District Health Board (WDHB) delivered a 2-day workshop via VCT in August 2016 for registered nurses (RNs) working across the Waikato region. In collaboration with the Waikato Institute of Technology (WINTEC) nursing department, the expectations from the participating nurses and their responses after the workshop were collected and evaluated.
The main broadcasting center was established at Waikato Hospital Wairoa building, linking to five hubs in DHB facilities around the district. Each hub had a nurse educator acting as a facilitator to provide onsite guidance and to interactive group activities. Presentations and discussions were viewed and engaged with in real-time by all participating RNs.
The data gathered encompasses the responses from the participating RNs to the mode of delivery, the content of the workshop, and the connection with the wider nursing community in their areas. The report, in form of a poster, also shows the advantages of engaging staff from a variety of clinical settings and highlights areas for future planning of similar educational sessions.