Podcasts as a Learning Adjunct in Nurse Anesthesia Education

Abstract

Educational techniques are constantly evolving because of influences from technology and improvements in the resources that are available to educators as well as learners. An educational adjunct, such as a podcast, may help students study by listening and using repetition as a way to strengthen previously learned concepts. Current literature suggests that utilizing podcasts in addition to conventional educational methods contributes to a higher level of satisfaction among learners. The goal of this translational research project was to provide student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) with educational podcasts as an adjunct to their traditional learning process and then measure their satisfaction after listening to the podcasts. A series of six educational podcasts were recorded and made available on From the Head of the Bed, which is a free podcast platform for the anesthesia community that is available to Apple, Android, Spotify, or Rich Site Summary (RSS) users. The intervention of using educational podcasts was intended to supplement and reinforce traditional learning practices in nurse anesthesia education. A mixed methods study design was developed to assess the qualities of the learners as well as their satisfaction with the educational podcasts. A post-intervention anonymous online survey was administered to the SRNAs at Marian University. The results of this project provide additional support for the value of podcasts as a learning adjunct for SRNAs