Exploring the Potential for Smartphone-Based Reflection to Support Socioemotional Competence Development in Student Nurses’ Clinical Placement: Mixed Methods Field Trial

Abstract

Abstract Background Socioemotional competencies (SEC) are essential for nurses to provide quality care and to maintain their own health. Historically underrepresented, nursing programs are changing their curricula to incorporate SEC development more strongly. Although it is recommended to practice SEC during clinical placement, studies on how to support nursing students in developing these competencies are lacking. Objective Our study explores second-year nursing students’ perceived and actual use of a reflection tool during their first 20-week clinical placement. Designed to support SEC development, the study focuses on how students incorporate the application in their learning process for SEC development. Methods An embedded mixed method study was conducted with 15 students from a nursing program in the Netherlands. Qualitative surveys and semistructured interviews were used to capture students’ experiences with the application both during and at the end of the clinical placement. Log data from the application provided insight into how the app was used. The mixed methods data were analyzed using warranted assertion analysis. Results The app helped students relate learning goals to clinical experiences, identify learning opportunities, and experience a sense of growth. Features that removed practical barriers to reflecting were experienced as most beneficial. Although SEC-focused use was limited (n=7), involved students used the app over a longer period of time and reported greater benefits. Nevertheless, 13 students stopped using the app halfway through their clinical placement, as their attitude shifted from learning to working. Conclusions This study gives a rich description of how nursing students used a reflection app to structure their learning process during clinical placement. It reveals that smartphone-based reflection supports students in clinical placement learning. Specifically, the app lowers barriers to engaging in structural reflection and decreases the mental burden of self-regulated learning. However, more guidance and a multimodal intervention approach seem necessary for SEC development. Further research into how to account for students’ shifting attitudes toward learning is needed.