Multimodal Interprofessional Education vs. Digital Learning: Enhancing Mpox Preparedness in Saudi Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: The global outbreak of monkeypox (Mpox) highlighted the urgent need for healthcare workforce readiness, particularly among nursing students who form a key frontline group yet often lack structured training for emerging infectious diseases. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a multimodal interprofessional educational intervention—compared with digital-only learning—in improving Mpox-related knowledge and self‑reported preparedness among Saudi nursing students. The intervention was informed by the Health Belief Model (HBM) to strengthen confidence and attitudes, and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) to guide the design of interactive workshops that promoted concrete experience, reflection, conceptualization, and active practice. Methods: A quasi-experimental study with propensity score matching (PSM) included 480 undergraduate nursing students from six Saudi universities. Participants were assigned to either a digital-only control group or a multimodal group combining digital modules with interprofessional workshops. PSM was performed using demographic, academic, geographic, and baseline outcome variables to ensure covariate balance (standardized mean differences < 0.10). Outcome measures included objectively assessed Mpox knowledge and validated scales for confidence, attitudes, and self-reported clinical practices. The Mpox Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire, adapted from validated infectious disease tools, demonstrated strong content validity (CVI = 0.94). Data analyses included descriptive and comparative statistics with sensitivity tests for non-normal distributions. Results: The multimodal group showed significantly greater improvements across all measured outcomes (p < 0.01). Knowledge gains were retained at four-month follow‑up, while confidence, attitudes, and self-reported practices demonstrated medium to large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.58–0.78). Ceiling effects were observed in hand hygiene and PPE subdomains, where post-test scores approached 88% of the maximum. Conclusion: Integrating interprofessional experiential workshops with digital learning significantly enhanced nursing students’ Mpox preparedness, particularly in applied knowledge and self-efficacy. These findings support embedding multimodal experiential approaches into nursing curricula to strengthen readiness for emerging infectious disease threats.