Procedures based on physical principles in distance education

Nursing techniques and procedures include nursing activities from the preparation of equipment to assessment and communication with the patient, to the implementation of a particular procedure. Many nursing procedures are based on physical principles. Distance education is the education in which the teacher (tutor) and the students are separated at a time or place, or both. The objective of the present study was to find out, through the content analysis of the e-learning course, how selected nursing procedures based on physical principles are presented. As a research method we used content analysis of the e-learning course - Nursing Procedures and Techniques. The following procedures were selected for the analysis: care of equipment; disinfection; sterilization; dressing techniques; physical mobility; immobility; positioning; and decubiti prevention. The analytical categories included: learning objectives; study materials; practice activities; tasks; and test questions about the procedure. We identified the representation of physical principles in selected nursing procedures as significant; they were presented to students in an appropriate way both in content and form. Students used prepared resources to study. In conclusion, we state the need to emphasise knowledge on physical principles in nursing procedures.