Nursing Education Innovations and Obstacles During COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic created a paradigm shift in the way educators employ active learning strategies. In this chapter, the authors discuss how engaging and innovative learning strategies were developed to teach baccalaureate-level nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial focus is on the teaching and learning strategies created for first-semester students who are developing foundational nursing skills and concepts. The discussion transitions to complex strategies developed for fourth-semester students, solidifying critical thinking and clinical judgment skills. Highlighted are active learning strategies used in the classroom, skills lab, and simulated clinical environment. These promote clinical judgment and present practical direction for adapting technology to provide an engaging learning environment. Throughout the chapter, the authors use several strategies to showcase how a nursing program responded to COVID-19 restrictions, including active learning and technology strategies, and how they can be applied across a curriculum using varying levels of technology.