Enhancing clinical skills through flexible learning: Insights from nursing educators

A fundamental part of nursing is clinical skills. Clinical skill practice is essential in the curriculum of nursing students to enhance their skills. However, the COVID-19 pandemic event changed the traditional teaching methods of nursing educators in clinical skills. To ensure the continuity of the clinical learning process, flexible learning approaches emerged in nursing education courses, replacing the conventional face-to-face method. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing educators using any type of flexible learning method in teaching clinical skills in a public university in Malaysia that offered a nursing programme. A purposive sampling method was employed to recruit eight participants. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted through face-to-face or online interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed four main themes: (a) integration of technology-enhanced learning methods in the teaching of clinical skills; (b) empowerment and efficacy through flexible learning methods; (c) overcoming hurdles to the implementation of flexible learning; and (d) institutional support and capacity building for effective flexible learning implementation. The integration of flexible learning methods has transformative potential to improve nursing education and better prepare students for clinical practice. Overcoming challenges and leveraging institutional support are critical for successful implementation and educational improvement.