Exploring the Intersection Between Academic and Professional Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Undergraduate and Graduate Nursing Students’ Experiences

Abstract

Background The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has implications for students who are also nurses. Purpose and Methods This qualitative descriptive study used a practice development approach to explore the intersection between academic and professional work experiences for undergraduate Post-Diploma Registered Practical Nurses bridging to Registered Nurse Bachelor of Science in Nursing students and Master of Nursing graduate nursing students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study incorporated critical aesthetic reflections that focused on the personal and aesthetic ways of knowing, as a data collection approach and knowledge dissemination strategy. Results Analysis of the narrative component of participants’ reflections revealed the following themes: sensing a “call to duty,” experiencing a myriad of emotions, shifting societal and individual perceptions of nursing, and learning in an uncertain environment. Conclusions The results of the study can inform educational strategies and academic policies to support this unique nursing population, who are frontline practitioners as well as student learners.

New Graduate Nurses Navigating Entry to Practice in the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Students reported significant uncertainty in response to these disruptions ( Naylor et al, 2021 ). The experiences of nursing students during the Covid-19 pandemic are actively being captured in a growing body of literature, notably highlighting challenging transitions to alternative ways of learning (e-learning) ( Daynes, 2020 ; Hodges et al, 2021 ; Swift et al, 2020 ), interruptions to clinical placement experiences ( Ulenaers et al, 2021 ), and the psychological stress these disruptions had on student nurses ( Aldridge & McQuagge, 2021 ; Espin et al, 2021 ).…”

“…As such, they struggled to navigate the delicate balancing act of protecting and caring for the self, and protecting and caring for others, which are often in a state of dissonance in nursing ( Chen et al, 2005 ; Swift et al, 2020 ). Similarly, emerging Covid-19 literature suggests that student nurses and new graduate nurses alike, felt the “call to duty” (p. 1), which was not without risk and personal sacrifice ( Espin et al, 2021 ). Such dissonance could be further compounded by the ‘hero’ narrative popular media outlets and government officials have attached to nurses on the front lines of the Covid-19 response.…”

Clinical placement education during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic shapes new nurses: A qualitative study

“…As observed in previous research, the participants in our study had restricted opportunities for direct patient care and hands-on training during their education since reducing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 virus was prioritised ( Smith et al., 2021 ; El Hussein et al., 2023 ; Dziurka et al., 2022 ; Espin et al., 2021 ; Ramos-Morcillo et al., 2020 ; Calica and Paterson, 2023 ). Additionally, to reduce the loss of clinical placement hours and to continue their course of education, these hours were substituted by regular work as health care assistants ( KUD, 2020 ).…”

“…The new practise following the World Health Organization (2020) social distancing recommendations resulted in many cancelled clinical placement hours, and student nurses missed opportunities for clinical placement education ( Palese et al., 2022 ; Dziurka et al., 2022 ; Espin et al., 2021 ). Instead of providing direct patient care and attending to diverse clinical placement situations, many nursing programmes found alternative solutions, such as digital- and simulation-based education ( Palese et al., 2022 ; Chinwendu et al., 2021 ; El Hussein et al., 2023 ; Egilsdottir et al., 2022 ) to ensure that students received alternative clinical placement hours to be able to graduate and become registered nurses ( Dziurka et al., 2022 ; Fogg et al., 2020 ; Thirsk et al., 2022 ; Utli and Yurt, 2022 ).…”

Factors influencing the physio psychosocial state and health concerns of Canadian and Iranian undergraduate nursing students during the pandemic

“…In addition, due to the reduction in direct interaction with other people during the COVID-19 pandemic, devices (e.g., mobile phones, computers) have become mediator in interpersonal relations, and social media has also replaced real-world peer/social relationships to a big extent(Sonmez et al, 2021). A study of undergraduate and graduate nursing students in Canada found that they faced a lot of stress, worry, and psychological disorders throughout the pandemic(Espin et al, 2022). Similarly, additional research found that nursing students in Iran suffered panic and psychological problems during this process.…”