Development of the Blood Pressure Assessment Interactive Learning Package for First-Year Nursing Students

Abstract

Blood pressure assessment is a vital sign assessment that indicates the function of key organs in the body. This assessment requires knowledge and practical skills to follow standard guidelines and obtain accurate, precise values that can be effectively used in vital sign assessment. The ultimate goal is patient safety. However, some nursing students lack confidence in applying knowledge of blood pressure assessment to nursing practice, and they have requested a media resource on blood pressure assessment to promote effective learning and increase confidence in this area. This research and development study aimed to develop an interactive learning package on blood pressure assessment, compare learning achievement before and after its use, and evaluate students' satisfaction with the package. The ADDIE Model framework by McGriff was applied, consisting of five systematic steps: 1) Analysis – identifying problems and needs through focus group discussions, course content review, subject evaluation analysis, and existing media survey; 2) Design – creating an interactive learning package structured in three connected parts: core concepts, a demonstration video with step-by-step explanations, and animated scenarios for practicing critical thinking and knowledge integration; 3) Development – producing interactive multimedia and refining it based on expert feedback from three experts; 4) Implementation – administering the package to the target group; and 5) Evaluation – collecting and analyzing data to enhance the package’s effectiveness.

The sample consisted of 122 first-year nursing students from Srisavarindhira Thai Red Cross Institute of Nursing who met the inclusion criteria. Research instruments included an interactive learning package, the Personal Data Form, the Blood Pressure Assessment Achievement Test, and the Satisfaction Questionnaire. All instruments were validated for content accuracy by three experts. Data collection involved a pre-test, a 5-day self-study period using the interactive package (approximately 20 minutes per session), followed by a post-test and the satisfaction survey. The researcher then sent a link to the interactive learning package on blood pressure assessment to the sample, allowing them to self-study the three-part media over a period of five days. It was recommended that each learning session take approximately 20 minutes. After the 5-day period, the participants completed a post-test on learning achievement and the Satisfaction Questionnaire regarding the interactive learning package. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (paired t-test).

The results revealed that the pre-test on learning achievement was 5.76 (SD = 1.61), the post-test on learning achievement was 8.02 (SD = 1.33). The students' learning achievement after using the interactive learning package was significantly higher than before (p < .001). Additionally, students' satisfaction with the interactive learning package on blood pressure assessment was at the highest level, with an average score of 4.84 (SD = .43). When examining individual items, students expressed the highest level of satisfaction for all items. Specifically, the test is relevant to the content, convenient and accessible, receiving the highest average score of 4.88 (SD = 0.35). The font size is appropriate, the colors are easy to read and comfortable to the eyes, receiving the lowest average score of 4.76 (SD = 0.53). The study findings indicate that the interactive learning package promotes interaction and enhances learning efficiency among nursing students. Therefore, this interactive learning package should be further implemented to promote learning among nursing students.

Keywords: : Blood pressure assessment, Interactive learning, Nursing students

Author’s contributions:

PT: Conceptualization, methodology, design, tool validation, testing, data collection, data analysis, writing-original manuscript, writing-revision

PM: Conceptualization, methodology, testing, data collection, writing-revision, corresponding with editor-in-chief