Leveraging open-source technology and adapting open eLearning content to improve the knowledge and motivation of Ghana's rural nurses

Abstract

Access to training opportunities is strongly correlated with health workers’ motivation because it enables health workers to take on more challenging duties. Mobile technology can be leveraged for professional development support by providing access to open education resources. Community Health Nurses (CHNs) in Ghana are the frontline health workers of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and play a vital role in extending maternal and child health care to rural communities. However, as the lowest credentialed nurses, they are at the bottom of the GHS hierarchy. CHNs have limited opportunities for career advancement and report challenges with isolation and lack of resources. Leveraging open-source technology platforms and open eLearning content, the Care Community Hub (CCH) project sought to address these barriers in CHN motivation by developing and deploying a mobile application (app), CHN on the Go, to CHNs in five rural districts. The app supports CHNs through tools for continuous learning, diagnostic decision-making, and improved nurse-supervisor interactions. This paper focuses on the adaptation and use of the open eLearning content to address CHNs’ motivation challenges and, ultimately, improve their knowledge and job performance as a result of having access to open education resources.

https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2016.08.005