Evaluation of a co-designed Parkinson’s awareness audio podcast for undergraduate nursing students in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Background Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common neurological condition that often causes stiffness, tremor and slow movement. People living with PD are likely to encounter nursing students throughout their journey from pre-diagnosis to death. Despite this, there is a paucity of evidence about current practice in PD education amongst nursing students. The present study provides an evaluation of a co-designed Parkinson’s Awareness audio podcast amongst nursing students in Northern Ireland. Methods Following co-design of an audio podcast about PD, a mixed methods evaluation was carried out. 332 student nurses completed pre-/post-test questionnaires about their knowledge and perceptions of PD before and after listening to the audio podcast. Further to this, 35 student nurses participated in focus-group interviews six months following listening to explore how the podcast influenced practice. Results Student nurses posted a mean score of 52% before listening to the audio podcast. This mean increased to 80% post-test. These findings were statistically significant (p < 0.001), demonstrating significant increases in PD awareness after listening. Findings from the focus groups suggested that the audio podcast improved empathy and practice towards people with PD. The findings also suggested that students perceived audio podcasts to be a good way to learn about PD. Conclusion Provision of a co-designed audio podcast about PD has the potential to improve student nurse knowledge and practice related to PD as evidenced in this study.

Co-design and mixed methods evaluation of an interdisciplinary digital resource for undergraduate health profession students to improve the prevention, recognition, and management of delirium in Ireland: a study protocol

“…The co-design approach proves invaluable for crafting education resources among student populations, as it actively involves them as end-users. This participatory method empowers students to prioritise and shape the content based on their preferences and specific learning needs, ensuring the resulting resources align closely with their educational requirements and enhance overall engagement [ 34 , 35 ].…”

Evaluating the Appropriateness of Podcasts to Improve the Knowledge and Awareness of Selected Health Topics Among Undergraduate General Nursing Students: Protocol for an International Feasibility Study

“…The implementation of podcasting in nursing education is one strategy to enhance learning, as discussed in the literature. Recent research conducted in Northern Ireland on podcasting to improve undergraduate nursing students’ awareness of Parkinson Disease found that “podcasting as an educational resource for undergraduate student nurses is a successful way of developing knowledge for PD [Parkinson disease]” [ 8 ].…”

Experiences of People Living with Parkinson’s Disease in Care Homes: A Qualitative Systematic Review

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