Retaining and assisting nontraditional nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing program utilizing Blackboard &...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Non-traditional students face unique challenges in higher education.
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are exploring innovative teaching strategies.
• Retention of nursing students is a critical concern in healthcare education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of a hybrid online course for non-traditional baccalaureate nursing students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of technology-enhanced teaching methodologies for student retention.
• To detail a systematic, team-based approach to course transformation.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive approach was used to document the transformation of "Introduction to Nursing Process I" into a hybrid online course.
• The course integrated Blackboard and Tegrity for content delivery and student engagement.
• Faculty collaborated on lecture content and utilized shared PowerPoint presentations.

Main Results:

• The hybrid model successfully integrated technology with traditional teaching methods.
• A systematic, team-based approach ensured consistency in course content and delivery.
• The implementation aimed to assist and retain 157 newly admitted non-traditional baccalaureate nursing students.

Conclusions:

• Hybrid online courses can effectively support non-traditional students in nursing programs.
• Technological integration, when supported by a systematic and collaborative faculty effort, enhances student retention.
• The use of tools like Blackboard and Tegrity, combined with a systems approach, proved beneficial.