With a smartphone in one's pocket: A descriptive cross-sectional study on smartphone use, distraction and restriction policies in nursing students.

BACKGROUND: The use of personal smartphones is a reality in healthcare settings. Current research is allowing us to understand in what ways they help with communication and decision making at the point of care and their impact on patient safety. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to characterize the use of smartphones by nursing students, and assess their opinions about the use of such phones as a distracting factor during clinical practicum and smartphone restriction policies. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: 234 students from one School of Nursing in Spain completed the survey in 2017. METHODS: A questionnaire was created based on various validated instruments for assessing students' use of smartphones, distraction associated with this use and the development of policies on their use during clinical practice. RESULTS: While 23.3% of participants admitting to using their smartphone for personal reasons at least once during their practicum, they perceived that their own level of distraction was low (6.9%). Notably, the level of distraction associated with others' smartphone use was perceived to be higher than that associated with their own use. Students' opinions about policies were significantly related to the frequency of witnessing other students and nurses being distracted (r = 0.139, p < 0.05), but not to their own distraction experiences (r = 0.114, p = 0.084). CONCLUSIONS: Smartphones are not widely used for professional purposes among nursing students, while personal use is commonplace. Nurse educators, students and nurse mentors need to work together to introduce strategies to facilitate care delivery through the use of mobile devices but at the same time must be aware of the risks associated with distractions, including to patient safety.

Impacto de la primera ola de Covid-19 en el estudiantado de cuarto curso de grado de enfermería de la Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de Vitoria-Gasteiz / Impact of first wave covid-19 on fourth course nursing students in vitoria-gasteiz´s university school of nursing

Introducción: La pandemia de Covid-19 ocasionó una situación sanita ria grave que provocó la suspensión de las prácticas clínicas en la titulación de Enfermería. Como alternativa a ellas, el estudiantado de 4º curso realizó, en un Call Center, actividades de atención tele fónica y consejo sanitario para personas afectadas por la pandemia, con un con trato laboral de auxilio sanitario. Objetivo: conocer las experiencias vividas por el estudiantado de cuarto curso de la Es cuela Universitaria de Enfermería de Vi toria-Gasteiz participantes en el Call Center durante la primera ola de la pan demia COVID-19. Metodología: estudio cualitativo fenomenológico, donde se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad hasta la saturación del discurso. Resul tados: surgieron tres categorías de análi sis: la valoración del contrato de Auxilio Sanitario en un Call Center como alter nativa, las emociones identificadas en el estudiantado y la necesidad de apoyo psicológico al incorporarse a la actividad profesional. Conclusiones: la participa ción en el Call Center provocó en el es tudiantado diferentes emociones que tu vieron repercusión en su desarrollo pro fesional y se puso de manifiesto la im portancia del apoyo psicológico en una situación similar (AU)

Introduction: Covid-19 pandemic caused a serious health situation that induced the stopping of clinical practices in the Nursing degree. As an alternative, the 4thcourse students did in a Call Cen ter, phone attention and sanitary advice for people affected with Covid-19 and were provided with a labour contract as Sanitary Aid. Objective: to know the ex periences lived by the 4thcourse stu dents of the University School of Nursing of Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Call Center du ring the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Methodology: a qualitative phe nomenological study, with deep inter views until saturation. Results: three ca tegories arose in the analysis: the as sessment of the Sanitary Aid contract in a Call Center as an alternative, the iden tified in the student feelings and expe rience and the need of support on joining the labour force. Conclusions: Joining the Call center triggered different feelings in the students that affected their professio nal behavior and showed the evidence of psychological supporting a similar situa tion (AU)