Need assessment for history-taking instruction program using chatbot for nursing students: A qualitative study using focus group interviews

Abstract

Purpose A comprehensive health history contributes to identifying the most appropriate interventions and care priorities. However, history-taking is challenging to learn and develop for most nursing students. Chatbot was suggested by students to be used in history-taking training. Still, there is a lack of clarity regarding the needs of nursing students in these programs. This study aimed to explore nursing students’ needs and essential components of chatbot-based history-taking instruction program. Methods This was a qualitative study. Four focus groups, with a total of 22 nursing students, were recruited. Colaizzi's phenomenological methodology was used to analyze the qualitative data generated from the focus group discussions. Results Three main themes and 12 subthemes emerged. The main themes included limitations of clinical practice for history-taking, perceptions of chatbot used in history-taking instruction programs, and the need for history-taking instruction programs using chatbot. Students had limitations in clinical practice for history-taking. When developing chatbot-based history-taking instruction programs, the development should reflect students’ needs, including feedback from the chatbot system, diverse clinical situations, chances to practice nontechnical skills, a form of chatbot (i.e., humanoid robots or cyborgs), the role of teachers (i.e., sharing experience and providing advice) and training before the clinical practice. Conclusion Nursing students had limitations in clinical practice for history-taking and high expectations for chatbot-based history-taking instruction programs.