Nursing students' experiences of using flipcharts as a learning tool during the COVID-19 pandemic

Building mastery of clinical skills is essential for nursing students to ensure readiness for clinical placements. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, limited face-to-face teaching and student access to campus facilities, along with the rapid adoption of online methods, increased the need to develop innovative teaching tools to support students. This study aimed to explore nursing student perceptions and experiences of using Flipcharts for learning clinical nursing skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Second-year nursing students were invited to participate at the end of the semester to share their experiences of using Flipcharts in their clinical simulation laboratory. A total of 12 nursing students participated in individual semi-structured interviews conducted between December 2020 and February 2021. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six-step method of thematic analysis. The findings of the study demonstrated that students considered Flipcharts to be beneficial in developing their clinical skills and were additionally valuable in supporting students with English as a second language. Three major themes were identified: the perceived value of Flipcharts during limited face-to-face teaching, the role of Flipcharts in supporting skills acquisition across learning domains, and the practicality and accessibility of this learning resource across different mediums. Students perceived the use of Flipcharts to be valuable in achieving mastery of clinical skills during COVID-19. The students' experience of using Flipcharts was positive overall and found the learning tool practical and accessible in supplementing learning. •Flipcharts are a practical and accessible learning tool which facilitates clinical skill development.•Flipcharts improve self-confidence by supporting self-directed learning.•Flipcharts are useful beyond the clinical simulation environment and transcend into life-world clinical experiences.