Hackathons for nursing students: Promoting Creativity, Innovation and Involvement in Antimicrobial Stewardship in Finland
Chege, Sarah (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025061222663
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025061222663
Tiivistelmä
The study aimed to improve Finnish nursing students’ knowledge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) while developing a hackathon framework as a teaching tool for these topics. The objectives were to identify nursing students’ awareness of the role they play in AMS, to assess the benefit of a hackathon as an educational tool and to educate and encouragee nursing students’ creativity and innovation in AMS.
Background information on AMR and AMS as well as frameworks governing these topics globally were gathered.
The study applied a qualitative approach using a hackathon as a novel nursing research method. Nursing students from Tampere University of Applied Sciences were the sample target for the study. A hackathon framework was designed for the study. An open-ended -online survey was designed for data collection. Four students attended the two-hour online hackathon event. Data was collected pre and post hackathon to determine performance.
Thematic data analysis method was utilized using an abductive approach to interpret data. The themes were; 1)perceived role in AMS, 2) hackathon for education and creativity & 3) innovation. Sub-themes emerged from the data the coding process which was manually done using Microsoft word.
The research could not conclusively determine knowledge improvement due to a low attendance of participants, and lack of detailed nursing school curriculum review regarding the topic.
Findings indicated that hackathons can be utilised in encouraging collaboration, enhancing critical thinking and better engagement opportunities, which are all essential in AMS.
Multiple future recommendations were made including future researchers selecting specific core elements of AMS to study, utilizing the hackathon framework built in the study on a larger, in-person scale for future research with collaboration with nursing schools and other stakeholders like healthcare institutions, collaborating with other researchers for a broader perspective among other suggestions.
Background information on AMR and AMS as well as frameworks governing these topics globally were gathered.
The study applied a qualitative approach using a hackathon as a novel nursing research method. Nursing students from Tampere University of Applied Sciences were the sample target for the study. A hackathon framework was designed for the study. An open-ended -online survey was designed for data collection. Four students attended the two-hour online hackathon event. Data was collected pre and post hackathon to determine performance.
Thematic data analysis method was utilized using an abductive approach to interpret data. The themes were; 1)perceived role in AMS, 2) hackathon for education and creativity & 3) innovation. Sub-themes emerged from the data the coding process which was manually done using Microsoft word.
The research could not conclusively determine knowledge improvement due to a low attendance of participants, and lack of detailed nursing school curriculum review regarding the topic.
Findings indicated that hackathons can be utilised in encouraging collaboration, enhancing critical thinking and better engagement opportunities, which are all essential in AMS.
Multiple future recommendations were made including future researchers selecting specific core elements of AMS to study, utilizing the hackathon framework built in the study on a larger, in-person scale for future research with collaboration with nursing schools and other stakeholders like healthcare institutions, collaborating with other researchers for a broader perspective among other suggestions.