What is the future of nursing higher ed post-COVID?
Nursing higher education took a crushing blow during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Already experiencing educator shortages pre-pandemic, nursing education was also hampered by clinical placement shortages that led to institutions turning away tens of thousands of qualified students aspiring to become nurses. Nurses everywhere continue to experience tremendous levels of burnout from their jobs in every capacity, with many leaving the field without considering critical roles, such as nursing education, that are so desperately needed.
With a significant number of nurses leaving traditional nursing roles or contemplating leaving the profession altogether, now more than ever is the perfect time to consider a role in nursing higher education.
Nursing educators play a crucial role for nursing students in all aspects of their degree attainment. From all the various degree options and programs, there are also different educator roles within higher education. Nursing educators have the option to teach in lecture-style formats, as well as in simulation labs. Becoming a clinical instructor is another option for those seeking to educate in a more hands-on way.
Nursing innovation was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we watched our world become a battleground, nurses, along with others in the healthcare delivery system, were the soldiers coming up with real-time solutions to PPE shortages, staffing shortages, and improved infection control strategies for an invisible enemy, conducting real-time research in the ways we provided care for our patients and coming up creative ways for our patients to communicate while isolated and critically ill. It was in these dark moments of great strength and ingenuity that our clear resourcefulness and adaptability shined through.
Imagine if we could come together as a profession with that same grit and determination to ensure our students receive an exceptional education that enables them to function as top-of-the-line caregivers. This would transform nursing and healthcare for decades to come.
With innovation exploding into all aspects of life, it has never been a more exciting time to lead the nursing field by educating our newest members and greatest minds using cutting-edge technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on ways virtual learning could be easily put in place and be a workable alternative to in-person learning when necessary.
With continued limitations of in-person learning further complicated by a lack of clinical site placement options, we must embrace a new way of learning. Instead of fighting the old, we should welcome all of the latest technology and come up with ways it would benefit our students and learning institutions. Innovations would provide opportunities to accommodate the influx of students turned away due to challenges brought on by a lack of clinical sites. This is where the future of nursing higher education appears to be moving, and needs to be embraced.
Nothing replaces the critical thinking and knowledge acquired from hands-on experiences, or those first moments of deep understanding of learned concepts when a textbook scenario plays out in front of you in the patient you’re caring for. This should never be eliminated and we should still fight hard for students to gain these experiences as much and as often as possible.
However, there is simply not much that can be done in our current state with nursing educator shortages and a lack of clinical placement sites. We have remained unable to scale up programs in all the ways needed to accommodate more students, all while experiencing continuous critical shortages of nursing staff that remain a constant threat to the future of our healthcare system. Workable alternatives must be considered - ones we can come together and agree on as reasonable options.
Incredible gains in technology over the last few decades offer a sea of possibilities. The use of virtual reality (VR) would be an incredible blend of new and old - not to take the place of hands-on, but to provide an alternative and the closest simulation experience possible during these uncertain times. It could also be used to test the proficiency of complex procedures prior to implementing them on a real patient.
One study utilizing information obtained from 21 clinical trials conducted in multiple countries found that the use of VR improved learning in 74% of studies and accuracy in 87% of studies. The results concluded that 95% of the studies underscored an improvement of skills in those being educated using VR technology, however results did vary slightly based on areas of specialty. This overwhelmingly punctuates that the use of VR is a real workable solution to a current nursing education crisis.
Unfortunately, VR technology and other means of innovation are very expensive to create and implement. The cost incurred would most certainly be passed onto the consumer – nursing students – who are already encumbered by significant debt to complete their degree.
Nursing leaders in organizations, big tech companies, and government agencies need to strongly consider the cost-to-benefit ratios of supporting nursing education innovation. Strategies must be implemented to be sure our students have an exceptional education and one that ensures they are proficient members of the nursing workforce. All qualified students should be able to be accepted into nursing programs to combat the growing void left by the Great Resignation in healthcare that jeopardizes the safety and quality of care. Everyone should be vested in the success of nursing students from all walks of their journey, as they are the future of healthcare.