To discuss the virtual learning strategies used in population health nursing course during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The School of Nursing faculty in a South Central University in the United States quickly combined innovation with digital resources and transitioned a course in population health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing faculty were challenged to develop student nursing objectives in assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation of vulnerable populations in the community through a virtual environment. Reflections of population health nursing clinical education:The experiences of five clinical groups are described, covering adults with disabilities, older people, patients with COVID-19 and youth populations. Discussion: The course objectives were met through use of a digital environment. Collaborative interventions were designed and implemented with community stakeholders while maintaining social distancing policies. Successes included increased frequency of communication and learning opportunities for students and the community, and student satisfaction. Barriers to student learning were not related to the digital learning environment, although the older adults required modifications to use electronic devices. Conclusion:Virtual classrooms are a viable platform to teach population health nursing and to benefit vulnerable populations. Implications for nursing practice: Virtual learning offers benefits within academia and the community. Technology offers the possibility to improve mental health among older people and enhance knowledge among the general population. Students are better able to connect with clinical faculty and stakeholders through digital platforms. Implications for nursing policy: Nurses play a vital role in improving population health and can collaborate with community stakeholders to implement innovative and sustainable solutions to nursing education, practices and policy. Digital platforms can enhance the involvement of students through these collaborations during and after the pandemic.

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Diabetes is a chronic disease that is widely recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Given the chronic nature of diabetes, selfcare management is key to improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden on the healthcare system. Self-monitoring of blood glucose is integral to self-care management of diabetes. Blood glucose monitoring is a shared responsibility, and constant communication between the patient and provider is vital in the daily management of diabetes, including diet, exercise, medications, and monitoring of blood glucose levels. When the patient does not have insurance coverage, frequent clinic visits for blood glucose monitoring and medication adjustments may become unaffordable, causing patients to remain undertreated or untreated for long periods of time. In such instances, a web-based log of daily glucose levels that is shared between the patient and the clinician may reduce the need for frequent clinic visits resulting in lower costs and more accessible care for low income or uninsured patients. In this project, 30 Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients maintained a shared web-based log on Diabetes 24/7, which was also accessible to the investigator, for one month. The investigator monitored their blood glucose levels daily and provided feedback to the patients as needed based on the reported levels. Analysis using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test indicated that the data was significant at p<0.0001 (study calculated p<0.00008), indicating the effectiveness of a shared web-based blood glucose log in the daily management of diabetes.