Investigating the Effectiveness of Mobile Phone-based Education on Learning Pain Management Skills in Nursing Students

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses are the first line in assessing the patient's pain and performing palliative measures, and their proper training is essential. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of lecture and mobile phone-based teaching methods on the knowledge and performance of nursing students in patient’s pain management. Methods: The present study was a semi-experimental before and after study with two intervention and control groups. The samples included 52 nursing students in Saveh Medical Sciences Faculty. Learners were placed in two intervention (mobile based application) and control (lecture) groups by a simple random method. The data collection tool included a questionnaire to measure the level of awareness and a checklist to measure the pain management skills of patients by the learners. Mann-Whitney, paired t test and independent t test were used to data analysis. Result: After training, students' knowledge scores about pain management increased significantly in both intervention and control groups. In addition, there was a significant difference in the mean score of pain management skill and its measurement among the learners of both groups after the intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion: The use of a mobile-based application can improve pain management and pain measurement skills in nursing students. The correct use of these programs can improve the quality of students' learning and also improve their knowledge and skills.