The study described in this blog is funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing.
Nurses are well placed to identify cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and to support people in making healthier lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of developing CVD. Despite this, nurses often have high levels of overweight and obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and low levels of physical activity.
We worked with first year nursing students at Edinburgh Napier University and Queens’ University Belfast to develop an interactive online application (app). This educational app aimed to improve nursing students’ confidence and ability to assess cardiovascular risk, and to support patients and themselves to make healthier lifestyle choices. We wanted to understand whether the app helped students to become more confident to talk to patients about their lifestyle.
Interactive app content included the use of risk assessment tools, quizzes and decision making based on patient stories within the app.
The app has been included in a first-year undergraduate nursing module at both universities. So far, students have completed surveys before and after using the app to gain understanding of whether it made a difference to their confidence and ability to talk to patients about their lifestyle. The final part of the study will invite students to take part in focus groups to explore their experiences of using the app. We expect to present the results of this study later in 2024.
If you would like to read more about the project and study team, follow the link here.
Blog contributed by Dr Bruce Forrest, Lecturer in Nursing, School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University.