Exploring the perceptions and barriers of nurses working in remote areas on tele-educational delivery of pharmacy knowledge in Henan, China: a qualitative study.

Abstract

There are insufficient educational resources and opportunities available to nurses at county-level medical institutions in China to receive pharmacy knowledge education. Video conference pharmacy education (VCPE) has become a solution. However, a few studies have explored the perceptions of nurses participating in VCPE. The study was aimed to explore the perceptions of nurses participating in VCPE at county-level medical institutions in remote areas in China. The barriers and suggestions to improve the VCPE were also assessed. The study was conducted in two county-level hospitals in Henan, China. This qualitative study comprises two focus group discussions. Twenty-three nurses from two county-level hospitals in Henan province participated in the interview in May 2019. The average age of our participants was 34.83±6.24 years old (from 26 to 55 years old). By deeply analysing the data, the following four domains were extracted: Four themes were extracted on VCPE from this qualitative study: (1) the pharmacy knowledge gains from VCPE, (2) the shortcomings VCPE, (3) the advantages of the VCPE and (4) the expectations and suggestions for the VCPE. The results of this study indicate VCPE is a valuable tool to provide education to nurses working at remote area county-level institutions. The results contribute to improvements in future VCPE deliveries.