番茄视频

番茄视频 (ACE) is incredibly proud of our graduates and how their impactful research contributes to various fields. Ed.D. in Nursing Education alumna, Dr. Kylie Daron, focused her dissertation on the experiences of nurses whose traditional nursing education transitioned to virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is a summary of Daron鈥檚 study, and we invite readers to .  

The COVID-19 pandemic brought tremendous stress on the healthcare system, as nurses across the globe endured uncharted waters with limited resources, knowledge and support. This time spotlighted nurses鈥� heroic efforts, sacrifices and contributions, but what about aspiring nurses? How was their transition from nursing student to practicing nurse affected by not only the pandemic but also an unexpected switch from traditional learning to virtual? 

Daron conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 nurses in the north central Kentucky and Indiana areas to discover how changing educational modalities affect becoming a nurse during the pandemic. Her quantitative study, aligned with Dr. Patricia Benner鈥檚 , answers two research questions that seek to understand the nurses鈥� experiences, how they cope mentally and how virtual learning affects their development as nurses. Daron sought to answer: 

1. Research Question 1:聽How do new nurses describe becoming a nurse during the pandemic after聽transitioning to virtual learning and,聽thus,聽having limited involvement with patients?聽聽

2. Research Question 2:聽How聽do聽new nurses聽describe聽developing critical thinking聽skills聽after transitioning to聽virtual nursing school during the pandemic?聽

How COVID-19 Altered Nursing Education聽

Traditionally, nursing education involves hands-on experience, also known as clinicals. This component of becoming a nurse is paramount to preparing for real-world scenarios that require nurses to respond quickly, remain calm and address patient needs appropriately. The pandemic forced traditional nursing programs to pivot to online course delivery, a scenario they were unfamiliar with and unprepared for. 

Unfortunately, this robbed many aspiring nurses of the pivotal experience they needed before being thrust into practicing nursing during an unprecedented time in healthcare. Becoming a practicing nurse is nerve-wracking in and of itself, and Daron explores how adding the intense layer of a pandemic affects becoming a nurse. Her research examines the impact of pivoting nursing modalities on top of starting a nursing journey during an immensely stressful time for healthcare systems and professionals globally. 

With an overarching goal to set a foundation, Daron hopes her research will inspire more studies that explore effective online nursing programs. These studies could provide opportunities to compare a wider expansion of online programs and traditional programs with in-person clinical rotations. 

Previous Studies:聽Becoming a Nurse During聽the聽Pandemic聽

Daron conducted extensive secondary research to uncover insights found in other studies. While her findings were many, there were key elements she found that supported the need for her study. 

Gaps in聽Online聽Nursing Education聽

Virtual clinicals can relate to in-person experiences. In fact, Daron identified studies that noted benefits of online nursing education, like the ability to repeat a step without disrupting a patient or to test their knowledge in a safe environment. 

However, other studies found noticeable gaps in nursing preparation. For example, nurses taught through simulation were less equipped for time management, communication and critical thinking. They were unable to get hands-on experience or to interact with other nurses, affecting their overall preparation to practice nursing. 

Unprepared Institutions聽and聽the Student Experience聽

If a university or college doesn鈥檛 offer nursing programs that are designed to be conducted online, they are unlikely to have plans to pivot to virtual modalities, if needed. Some institutions were able to partially allow clinicals through a hybrid model featuring both virtual simulations and face-to-face interaction. Students who had this opportunity had higher satisfaction with their program, according to Daron鈥檚 secondary research. 

While some past studies noted positive elements of virtual nursing programs during the pandemic, most found challenges. For example, students struggled with technology operation, getting in touch with instructors, heavier assignment loads to compensate for clinicals and increased stress. Some nurses felt so strongly about needing in-person clinicals that they chose to pause their education until it was an option again. 

Coping聽With聽Mental Health Disruptions聽

Nursing students experienced various emotions during the pandemic as they heard about the uncertainty of its danger on the news and simultaneously felt uncertain about their future careers. The studies Daron reviewed found anxiety to be one of the more prominent emotions. This pertained not only to their nursing education but to the safety of their families and finances. Similarly, solitude led to feelings of depression, sleep disruptions and reduced focus. 

Students who were able to volunteer or work in hospital settings experienced similar emotions but in a different way. For example, they felt like contributors to moving toward stronger public health, but also felt worried about leaving their families, distressed by patients passing away and overwhelmed by the weight of finishing nursing school. 

Becoming a Practicing Nurse聽

A prominent finding in past studies was the impact of new nurse readiness. Starting a career during a pandemic without the anticipated clinical experience caused many new nurses to feel unprepared. Not to mention, those who did have opportunities to get in-person practice were doing so while fearful of contracting a potentially fatal virus. 

Studies also found that nurses who oversaw nursing students were stretched so thin that they were unable to adequately train and supervise. There were some findings, however, that identified the experience as invaluable. 

Developing clinical judgement, an integral component of nursing, was also deemed fickle at most. It essentially encompasses a nurse鈥檚 readiness to apply classroom learning to the field. Daron identified several studies that indicated its importance and, to some experts, necessity for success that could only be cultivated through in-person clinicals. Some students claimed that virtual simulation was enough, while others felt otherwise. 

Discovering聽the Impact of COVID-19聽on聽New Nurses聽聽

Daron鈥檚 case study followed an explanatory design, where she collected detailed, personal accounts from 15 participants residing in north central Kentucky and southern Indiana. All participants met established inclusion criteria that included completing at least two terms virtually during the pandemic and subsequently becoming practicing nurses. 

The recorded semi-structured interviews included a scripted opening and closing, and allowed space in between for detailed, elaborate responses. Questions encompassed themes like clinical preparation, transition expectations and nursing realities. Subject matter experts validated the questions. 

Daron prepared the data she collected and applied thematic analysis to identify patterns and translate them into themes. Additionally, she followed recommended qualitative study measures to validate her research. 

Thematic Analysis:聽New Nurse聽Challenges and聽Triumphs聽

Five themes emerged from Daron鈥檚 findings: nursing school influences, initial transition experience, growing pains, building confidence as a nurse and 鈥渋f I could change anything.鈥� Each theme included subthemes that further articulated the nurses鈥� experiences transitioning from nursing students to practicing nurses. 

Daron then identified which themes answered each research question. 

• Research Question 1:聽Based on the participants鈥� interviews,聽having limited interaction with patients due to transitioning to virtual learning brought聽anxiety, a lack of applicable skills,聽fear聽and difficulty coping with patients passing away.聽Themes one, two聽and five collectively聽indicated聽that their experience of becoming a nurse was altered.聽聽

• Research Question 2:聽The participants described their ability to develop critical skills while transitioning to virtual learning聽as something that聽required聽time and experience. They felt like repetition聽and聽seeing a variety of patients聽helped, but it聽required聽extra time and support that聽wasn鈥檛聽always readily聽available.As聽with the聽previous聽question, themes three, four and five聽collectively聽indicated聽that their experience of becoming a nurse was altered.聽聽

Leadership and Education Support Needed聽for New Nurse Transitions聽

Daron determined that the pandemic impacted new nurse practices and transitions when there was a shift to virtual learning during nursing school. New practicing nurses felt stress and anxiety as they faced patients with limited experience. There were some findings that aligned with previous studies, while others were more correlated with the theoretical framework. 

Because the findings were limited to a specific location and may not resonate with nurses who did not take virtual nursing courses, Daron recommends further research in the following areas to better develop our understanding of nursing school effectiveness: 

• Comparison study聽with nurses who completed nursing school before聽and聽during聽the聽pandemic聽

• Analysis of virtual simulation effectiveness on critical thinking and clinical judgement聽

• Exploration of the mental health of nurses who were in nursing school during the聽pandemic聽聽

For the future of online nursing education, Daron recommends more opportunities for nursing students to grow in time management, patient de-escalation and coping with death. She also proposes that nursing educators implement curricula, support and training that help students transition more confidently into practice. By better understanding nursing student experiences, nursing education can transform tomorrow鈥檚 generation of nurses. 

Every day, 番茄视频 (ACE) proves the power and effectiveness of online nursing programs. As a fully online college from the start, we ensure you鈥檙e prepared to treat patients with confidence and positively influence their healing journeys.