Comparison of the effect of social-networking-based teaching and workshop-based teaching on emergency nurse ECG interpretation skills

Misinterpretation of the ECG can lead to serious clinical errors. Social networks with sharing features enable creativity and innovation in education. The aim of this study was the compare the effect of social-networking-based teaching and workshop-based teaching on emergency nurse ECG interpretation skills.

This was three groups pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental study with a control group. Three hospitals were randomly divided into three groups: control, workshop, and WhatsApp. Nurses were selected by the available method. Before the intervention, a pre-test was taken from all three groups. The workshop group was taught through the workshop and the based on social networks group was taught through WhatsApp. After the end of the training, a post-test was taken from all three groups and the amount of skill score changes in each group was compared with other groups. Data were analyzed with SPSS-19 software and (P<0.05).

Comparison of the average skill score in all three study groups: control (t=2.71, P=0.011), workshop (t=2.58, P=0.016), and WhatsApp (t= 5.03, P< 0.001) had a significant increase before and after the intervention. The average comparison of skill score changes in the WhatsApp group was significantly higher than the other two groups (P = 0.044). There was a significant difference between the average score of the ECG interpretation skill between the WhatsApp and control groups (P = 0.022) and between the WhatsApp and workshop groups (P = 0.039).

Considering that the score of the ECG interpretation skills of the WhatsApp group nurses was higher. Therefore, social networks can represent the new method of education along with other educational methods and be effective in improving the education process.