Impact of mobile learning operating room principles and communication skills on nursing college students: a quasi-experimental study

Electronic education can serve as a new educational approach that meets some of the educational needs of students and enhances the quality and effectiveness of education in these areas. This study aims to investigate impact of Mobile Learning Operating Room Principles and Communication Skills on Knowledge, Attitudes, Performance, and Communication Skills of Nursing College Students. In this quasi-experimental study, 60 working students attending a college participated in two groups: the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group received operating room principles and communication skills training through a mobile application, while the control group received conventional classroom-based training on the same subjects. The data collection tools and process included a demographic information form, questionnaires to assess knowledge, attitudes towards mobile learning, communication skills, patient interaction, and checklists for operating room principles and nursing skills of the students in the clinical setting. Pre-tests and post-tests were conducted before and after the intervention to compare the participants' levels of knowledge, attitudes, performance, and communication skills. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 19, and descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Before the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference between the knowledge, attitudes, performance, and communication skills of the two groups. However, the statistical tests demonstrated the effectiveness of the interventions. After the intervention, a significant and meaningful difference (P < 0.001) was observed between the two groups' knowledge, attitudes, performance, and communication skills. Based on the results of this study, mobile educational software can assist in the learning and education of students. Since medical students experience most of their learning in clinical settings, attention should be given to developing software and applications in the clinical domain. With the ever-expanding use of mobile devices and the widespread accessibility of these communication tools to almost all students, incorporating mobile-based education can lead to improved medical education in clinical settings.