Last academic year, all higher education institutions prepared for the immediate online education needs, and some began to future-proof their institutions for the long term. Due to COVID-19 challenges, our community-focused heavily on the urgent teaching and learning needs for nursing and emergency preparedness education using technology, innovation, and collaboration. Nursing and EMT faculty were challenged to develop and deliver courses based on online learning best practice principles, emphasizing clinical practice into the e-learning curriculum. As online nursing education programs continue to increase to meet the current demands of the growing market, nursing and EMT faculty are challenged to develop and deliver courses based on these best practice principles and high-quality open educational resources that can enable learning outside of the hospitals still under stress from the pandemic.
Clinical Practice and Engagement Online
It is clear that one of the early lessons from the health crisis is focusing on practice and engagement with online education for these programs. Social distancing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have profoundly changed how nursing students learn around the globe. With 70% of America’s schools closed, many universities are scrambling to train nurse educators on how to provide quality online learning and inform students how to complete coursework from home. The COVID-19 pandemic may also encourage many nurses to seek higher education to move away from the bedside and work in administrative roles. It is a complex process to bring interactivity and simulations into online learning but can be crucial to providing the required practice in the current climate. How will this help our programs in the long term? It will provide nursing and emergency response students with flexibility, convenience, and opportunities for advancement while encouraging institutions to prioritize content and be transparent on the differences between school and work clinicals.
Nursing and EMT OER
Online education and training materials for on-demand emergency preparedness and response training resources and OER materials related to health and coronavirus created by universities several as part of the National Nurse Emergency Preparedness Initiative (NNEPI) are expanding. Here are some popular resources that can assist with training and educating nurses and EMT students who are limited with standard clinical practice:
- National League for Nursing: Coaching and professional development materials for nursing and emergency preparedness. http://www.nln.org/professional-development-programs/teaching-resources
- Nursing Education Resource Guide: Nursing educator groups and standards information. https://www.smartscholar.com/nursing-education-guide/
- Online Paramedic and EMT Overview: Program and key contact information. https://www.firescience.org/paramedic-training-and-degree-programs-online
- National Center for PTSD: Educational resources for trauma. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/continuing_ed/psych_firstaid_training.asp
- Transforming Teaching and Learning Panel Summary: Online Nursing and Medical Education
https://bit.ly/3fshItS
And here are nursing and emergency preparedness resources that are coronavirus related:
- ANA COVID-19 Resource Center: American Nursing Association provides nursing and EMT resources with regular updates. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/disaster-preparedness/coronavirus
- Coronavirus Resources for Nursing & EMT Educators: AACN provides case studies and resources. https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/COVID-19
- Resilient Nurses Initiative: Website to help nursing schools and nurse residency programs better prepare nurses for coronavirus challenges. https://r3.wikiwisdomforum.com
- Nurse Abnormalities: A nurse blogging about experiences in the field. https://www.nurseabnormalities.com
Join Us at OLC Accelerate
We aren’t waiting to develop the perfect plan and are focused on continuous improvement with colleges and universities. This topic will be discussed with LearningMate’s partner, American Public University System (APUS), at OLC Accelerate on September 24, 2021, in the session: Nursing and Emergency Preparedness Education in a Pandemic: Challenges in Response to COVID-19. Please join Dr. Bob Smith, Manager, Instructional Design, and myself to discuss strategies to further skills and knowledge in this crucial field.
Author:
Jackie Ricords
Transform Evangelist, LearningMate