title: Effectiveness of a mobile cooperation intervention during the clinical practicum of nursing students: a parallel group randomized controlled trial protocol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe a study protocol for a study evaluating the effectiveness of a mobile cooperation intervention to improve students' competence level, self-efficacy in clinical performance and satisfaction with the clinical learning environment.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nursing student-nurse teacher cooperation during the clinical practicum has a vital role in promoting the learning of students. Despite an increasing interest in using mobile technologies to improve the clinical practicum of students, there is limited robust evidence regarding their effectiveness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicentre, parallel group, randomized, controlled, pragmatic, superiority trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Second-year pre-registration nursing students who are beginning a clinical practicum will be recruited from one university of applied sciences. Eligible students will be randomly allocated to either a control group (engaging in standard cooperation) or an intervention group (engaging in mobile cooperation) for the 5-week the clinical practicum. The complex mobile cooperation intervention comprises of a mobile application-assisted, nursing student-nurse teacher cooperation and a training in the functions of the mobile application. The primary outcome is competence. The secondary outcomes include self-efficacy in clinical performance and satisfaction with the clinical learning environment. Moreover, a process evaluation will be undertaken. The ethical approval for this study was obtained in December 2014 and the study received funding in 2015.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study will provide robust evidence on mobile cooperation during the clinical practicum, a research topic that has not been consistently studied to date.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8023-1428
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strandell-Laine
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saarikoski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Eliisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Löyttyniemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.affiliation: Information Systems Science, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Reima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suomi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland.|Turku University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leino-Kilpi
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D013338:Students, Nursing
keywords: clinical practicum; competence; cooperation; mobile application; nursing; randomized controlled trial; self-efficacy; student; study protocol