The effect of flipped classroom on nursing students’ physical examination skills: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Background: Proficiency in physical examination is a crucial aspect of the nursing process. Enhancing this skill in nursing students will improve the quality of future nursing care. However, as technology evolves, new educational methods are required to keep pace. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the effect of the flipped classroom method on nursing students’ physical examination skills. Methods: This quasi-experimental, non-randomized study used a control group and a posttest-only design. The study was conducted at the Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Eastern Iran, in 2023. A total of 77 nursing students were selected using a census method. The intervention group received training using the flipped classroom method, while the control group followed the routine method (lectures and practice on simulators). After the intervention, the physical examination skills of both groups were evaluated using the Objective Structured Clinical Examination. Data were analyzed in SPSS 16 using the Mann-Whitney test, Chi-square test, two-way analysis of variance, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and the Point-Biserial correlation coefficient test. Results: The mean score of physical examination skills was 14.0±1.56 in the control group and 18.6±1.29 in the intervention group. The Mann-Whitney test showed a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of physical examination skills between the two groups (p=0.0001). Conclusion: The higher mean score of physical examination skills in the intervention group compared to the control group suggests that the flipped classroom method is effective in modern nursing education.

Keywords

• active learning
• problem-based learning
• physical examination
• nursing assessment
• students
• nursing