Exploring Student Perceptions of a Virtual Practicum

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has disrupted and overwhelmed academia, adding many new challenges for nursing faculty. However, despite these challenges, nursing faculty at a small private university demonstrated resilience and innovation at the height of the acute phase of the crisis, transforming a traditional 2-day in-person Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) practicum to an abbreviated, interactive virtual format.

A qualitative study was conducted to explore DNP student perceptions of the virtual practicum. An anonymous survey was created to gather participant feedback; the link was embedded in an email invitation to practicum participants.

The majority of respondents were English speaking, middle-aged, Black, non-Hispanic nurse practitioners. Content analysis revealed three themes: valuable interactions, supportive faculty, and enlightening feedback.

Despite the crisis and ensuing consequences of the pandemic, DNP students who participated in the virtual practicum described a meaningful and valuable experience. [.