Lessons learned from clinical course design in the pandemic: Pedagogical implications from a qualitative analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Pedagogy
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated significant adaptations in nursing education, particularly in clinical courses.
• Understanding student experiences during these changes is crucial for improving future nursing curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine clinical pedagogy in nursing education through the lens of pandemic-induced changes.
• To identify lessons learned for enhancing nursing education beyond crisis management.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive analysis of semi-structured interviews with 15 baccalaureate nursing students.
• Thematic content analysis of transcribed interview data, guided by the COREQ checklist.

Main Results:

• Key themes included the role and limitations of simulation, competency evaluations, and career implications.
• Students reported concerns about insufficient clinical hours, loss of in-person experiences, and reduced exposure to diverse clinical settings.

Conclusions:

• High-quality simulation is essential but cannot fully replace in-person clinical experiences for developing work-ready nurses.
• Robust competency evaluations and broad exposure to various patient populations and settings are vital for nursing workforce preparedness.