Hosein Habibzadeh - ۱Associate professor of nursing, Phd of Nursing, Department of Nursing, Urmia University of Medical Sciences ,Urmia, Iran
Bahlol Rahimi - professor, Department of Health Information Technology,Urmia University of Medical Sciences,Urmia,Iran
Fariba Hosseinzadegan - Candidate of PhD in Nursing, , Department of Nursing Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Nader Aghakhani - Assistant Professor of Nursing, Phd of Nursing, Department of Nursing, Urmia University of Medical Sciences ,Urmia, Iran

INTRODUCTION: Due to the importance of correct interpretation of electrocardiogram (ECG) in the quality of healthcare delivery, new educational methods are increasingly being implemented and evaluated. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to compare the traditional and virtual teaching methods on the interpretation of cardiac dysrhythmia in nursing students.METHODS: The present study is a quasi-experimental research with pretest and posttest design. Sixty nursing students in the seventh semester from schools of nursing in Urmia and Khoy cities were randomly assigned to two virtual and traditional education groups. Students’ knowledge was measured by a researcher-made ۳۰-item test.RESULTS: The mean and standard deviation of the students’ scores in the traditional education group was ۱۱.۲۰ ± ۴.۴۱ and ۱۴.۴۰ ± ۴.۶۲ and in the virtual group was ۱۱.۳۰ ± ۲.۷۴ and ۱۸.۴۳ ± ۴.۶۸, pre- and post-training, respectively. Paired t-test showed a significant difference between the mean score of pretest and posttest in both types of training (P < ۰.۰۰۱). According to the results of independent sample t-test, there were no significant differences between the two groups before the training (P > ۰.۰۵). However, in the posttraining period, there were significant differences between traditional and virtual education groups (P < ۰.۰۰۱).CONCLUSION: Considering the results of this study, which shows the positive effects of virtual education method on nursing students’ knowledge about cardiac dysrhythmia, this method can be used as an alternative or complementary method to the traditional education.

Cardiac dysrhythmia, e-learning, electrocardiography, nursing students, traditional education, virtual education