Super Divya to the rescue! Exploring Nurse Mentor Supervisor perceptions on a digital tool to support learning and engagement for simulation educators in Bihar, India

BACKGROUND: Since 2014, the Government of Bihar and CARE India have implemented a nurse mentoring program that utilizes PRONTO International’s simulation and team trainings to improve obstetric and neonatal care. Together they trained simulation educators known as Nurse Mentor Supervisors to conduct simulation trainings in rural health facilities across the state. Sustaining the knowledge and engagement of these simulation educators at a large-scale has proven difficult and resource intensive. To address this, the University of Utah with PRONTO International and with input from the University of California San Francisco, created an interactive, virtual education module based on a comic superhero named Super Divya to reinforce simulation educator concepts. This study examined the perceptions of Nurse Mentor Supervisors on Super Divya’s accessibility, usefulness, and potential after implementation of Super Divya: Origin Story. METHODS: We conducted qualitative interviews with 17 Nurse Mentor Supervisors in Bihar, India. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews were conducted virtually via Zoom™ using a semi-structured interview guide in Hindi and English. Participants were identified with strict inclusion criteria and convenience sampling methods. Interviews were analyzed using a framework analysis. RESULTS: Nurse Mentor Supervisors found Super Divya to be engaging, innovative, relatable, and useful in teaching tips and tricks for simulation training. Supervisors thought the platform was largely accessible with some concerns around internet connectivity and devices. The majority reacted positively to the idea of distributing Super Divya to other simulation educators in the nurse mentoring program and had suggestions for additional clinical and simulation educator training topics. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the potential of Super Divya to engage simulation educators in continuous education. At a time when virtual education is increasingly important and in-person training was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Super Divya engaged Supervisors in the nurse mentoring program. We have incorporated suggestions for improvement of Super Divya into future modules. Further research can help understand how knowledge from Super Divya can improve simulation facilitation skills and behaviors, and explore potential for reinforcing clinical skills via this platform. ETHICAL APPROVAL: This study was approved by the institutional review board at the University of California San Francisco (IRB # 20–29902). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-022-03270-5.