The global call to improve the quality of healthcare, and the restructuring of job descriptions require nurses to return to school to attain the necessary qualifications. Some nursing degree completing programs available in Uganda provide blended learning which combines the traditional classroom and online learning. However, learning online requires students to be equipped with readiness competences which include computer/internet and online communication self-efficacy, self-directed learning, time management, study habits, and institutional support from peers and instructors. This quantitative arm of the study explored the self-efficacy of the readiness competences of the 226 nursing students in the degree completion programs and the predictors of readiness to learn online. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Slightly over half of the students (58%) were ready to learn online. The finding indicates a moderate level of readiness where to attain readiness category required at least 76% of the students to be ready to learn online. The students reported a high level of readiness in self-directed learning, time management, study habits, and institutional support but lower readiness levels in online communication and computer/internet self-efficacy. All competences were significantly correlated and predicted readiness, suggesting their interdependence in contributing to readiness to learn online. Computer and online communication self-efficacy were the strongest predictors of readiness to learn online, whereas self-directed learning and institutional support were the weakest. The Readiness to Learn Online Model (RLOM) predicted 88% of the readiness and therefore presumed to be very good in assessing online learning readiness. The findings necessitate the institutions to assess students before they enter the online programs and to provide resources, training and continuously persuade them to improve their self-efficacy.

Raising the professional knowledge and skill of nurses through acquiring a baccalaureate degree has shown evidence of an increase in the provision of quality care, a reduction in mortality rates in hospitals, and increase in patient safety. Institutions of higher education have adopted online learning for degree-completion nursing programs in Uganda to advance more nurses to the baccalaureate level. This paper presents the findings from the qualitative phase of a mixed-method study that explored factors that contribute to students’ self-efficacy to learn online. In the quantitative phase of the study, 226 nursing students were surveyed about their personal attributes, technical competences, and institutional supports that contributed to their self-efficacy to learn online. The surveys revealed that a majority of the students (58%) reported moderate to high levels of readiness to learn online. The qualitative phase was designed to elicit the students’ perception of those factors that influenced self-efficacy to learn online. It was also conducted during the COVID pandemic and captured the students’ perceptions during the online study. Two focus group discussions were held with a representative sample from the students (n-14) who participated in the survey portion of the study. The findings provided an understanding of students’ perceptions of online learning readiness, the challenges they faced, and insights into how educators, employers, and families can support students’ online learning. The findings can be generalized to students such as those in degree-completion programs, who are employed, and who study from rural or low resource areas globally.

Standard precautions guidelines are the effective cornerstone W.H.O and CDCC measures of infection control and management used to reduce healthcare associated infections among healthcare workers and patients. However, healthcare workers especially students do not always adhere to them. The purpose of this study was to assess attitudes of student nurses and midwives towards adhering to standard precautions. A quantitative, exploratory study using a self-report questionnaire was carried out on 53 third year diploma nursing and midwifery students at a large teaching hospital in Uganda. Only 81% of the respondents scored at least 80% on the attitude scale that was measured using constructs from Rosenstock's, (1974) Health Belief Model. The construct of perceived benefits (84.9%), self-efficacy (63.5%), and perceived barriers (62.3%) rated higher than the rest. The attitudes towards adherence to standard precautions was lower than expected, revealing a gap that may lead to nonadherence to SP and continued predisposition to nosocomial infections in the hospital setting. Findings had implications for nurse educators, administrators, and practitioners to promote nurse's attitudes towards adherence to standard precautions.