Developing renal nurses' buttonhole cannulation skills using e-learning

SUMMARY: Background: It has previously been shown that nurses can learn clinical nursing skills by e-learning (online), and that many variables will influence how well nurses adopt learned clinical skills using distance education. Objectives: This study aimed to identify and measure the strength of those factors which would simultaneously influence registered nurses' (RNs') beliefs about their own learning about buttonhole cannulation, using e-learning. Design: An online Likert style survey consisting of a list of statements related to knowledge and skill domains considered crucial in the area of buttonhole cannulation was distributed to 101 RNs before and after completing an e-learning programme. Participants were required to identify their current level of self-confidence in relationship to each of the statements. Measurements: Measures of RNs' self-rated abilities to assess and implement buttonhole cannulation after completing a related e-learning program were tested using a Partial Least Squares Analysis (PLS-PATH) programme. Results: The study's results strongly identify that the nurses' ability to meet both clinical and educational outcomes of the renal e-learning module can be predicted by six variables, none of which are directly related to the participants' demographic or clinical backgrounds. Conclusion: These findings support the use of e-learning to teach clinical skills to RNs, and demonstrate the value of Partial Least Squares Analysis in determining influential learning factors.