Online Learning Barriers among First-Year Undergraduate Nursing Students in a Philippine Government-Funded University

Introduction: Because of the threats of the COVID-19 outbreak, schools quickly transitioned to online learning. The relatively new platform in the delivery of instruction requires investigation. Objective: This study determined the barriers to online learning among first-year undergraduate nursing students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted employing the online administration of an adopted questionnaire among 105 undergraduate nursing students in a government-funded university in the Philippines. The t-test and ANOVA were utilized to test for significant differences. Results: Results revealed that generally, a moderate level of barriers in online learning was reported by first-year undergraduate nursing students. Among the seven domains, first-year nursing students experienced highest barriers in the learner motivation and time and support for studies subscales. Students who used smartphones or tablets, had less ability and confidence with online technology use, enjoyed online learning considerably less, and were less likely to take an online class in the future experienced significantly more barriers to online learning. Conclusion: Nursing students face several barriers as they navigate the online learning platform to deliver instruction in nursing education. Nursing schools and faculty should look into these barriers and steps should be made to address the barriers experienced by students in online learning.