Introduction: Nursing knowledge, critical thinking ability, and self-perceived confidence are imperative to nursing skills in professional nursing practice. Therefore, nurse educators are required to use teaching strategies that will help promote their knowledge, critical thinking, and self-confidence in complex contents such as the nursing of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB).
Purpose: This study compares the effect of student-led and instructor-led ward-round training methods on knowledge acquisition, critical thinking ability, and self-perceived confidence during AUGIB sessions.
Methods: Forty nursing students in the first year of the Emergency Nursing Residency Program were randomly divided into a student-led ward round training group (SG) and an instructor-led ward round training group (IG) with a ratio of 1:1. A knowledge quiz, critical thinking ability test, and self-perceived confidence questionnaire were performed before and after the ward round training to assess both groups of students for their knowledge acquisition, critical thinking ability, and self-perceived confidence improvement. Feedback questionnaires were conducted after the training to evaluate students’ perspectives and interests concerning the teaching module.
Results: The scores of the post-training quiz were significantly higher than that of the pre-training quiz in both the SG (44.10± 2.92 vs 31.10± 4.27, p< 0.001) and IG (32.35± 2.21 vs 30.55± 2.24, p=0.01). In the post-training quiz, scores achieved by the students from the SG (44.10± 2.92) were significantly higher than those achieved by the students from the IG (32.35± 2.21, p< 0.001). The level of self-perceived confidence improved significantly after ward round training in the SG (p< 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the IG with respect to the change from pre- to post-training (p=0.43).The students’ critical thinking ability improved significantly in the SG (14.95± 2.58 vs 7.10± 1.79, p< 0.001), while no significant improvement was found in the IG (7.91± 2.28 vs 6.52± 2.21, p=0.07) after ward round training.
Conclusion: The teaching method of SWRT improves nursing students’ knowledge acquisition, critical thinking ability, and self-perceived confidence in AUGIB.
Keywords: student-led ward round training, knowledge acquisition, critical thinking ability, self-perceived confidence, nursing education