“Growing as a Stronger Clinician in Adverse Conditions”—A Snapshot of Clinical Training during COVID-19

Abstract

Transformative learning theory has been recommended as a pedagogy of uncertainty for accommodating new beliefs that enable humans to thrive amid the challenges and complexity of our world. As higher education institutions embrace new roles and responsibilities, few studies have focused on how the disruptions caused by COVID-19 may facilitate formative learning experiences. This study explored how registrars responded to the challenges facing clinical training during the first wave of COVID-19, and how the impact of these disruptions prompted personal and professional development. Registrars completed an online qualitative SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis of their training experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were thematically analysed. Four hundred and five responses were received from 54 registrars. Themes related to challenges included mental distress, resource constraints, and compromised and inadequate training. Themes related to strengths and opportunities included new learning experiences, resilience, coping strategies, and enhanced graduate competencies related to leadership, collaboration, communication, and health advocacy. The disruptive and disorienting elements of COVID-19, although situated in chaos, aggravating the constraints of training in under-resourced settings, also provided unexpected learning opportunities. These findings highlight the transformative potential of disrupted learning contexts and the need for responsive curricular to enhance graduate competencies, adaptability, and resilience.

COVID-19 and Collective Transformation: Changes in Online Nursing Faculty Pedagogical Practices

“…The recent pandemic was a catalyst for large-scale social change and posed an important question for researchers to understand social and collective change as a result of experiencing a common disorienting event (Eschenbacher & Fleming, 2020, 2021, 2022). During COVID-19, people around the world experienced the feeling of not-knowing how to cope, coupled with fear and anxiety during this new situation (Eschenbacher & Fleming, 2022; Singaram & Sofika, 2022). According to Eschenbacher and Fleming (2022) this not-knowing can be frightening, but it has potential for transformation, allowing them to explore their current ways of knowing and being in the world and how they may change those ways for the future (Eschenbacher & Fleming, 2020).…”

“…It has particularly affected people working in healthcare fields (Chan et al, 2021; Lou et al, 2022; Robinson, 2020). Already busy health professionals found themselves with increased workloads, longer hours, and extra shifts due to overcrowded hospitals and staffing shortages (Hrelic & Anderson, 2022; Lou et al, 2022; Shigemura et al, 2021; Singaram & Sofika, 2022). Nurses and their families felt the strain of COVID-19 as they navigated issues such as lack of childcare, school closures due to quarantine restrictions, conflicts in family responsibilities and professional obligations, and potential financial strain (Chan et al, 2021; White & Ruth-Sahd, 2020).…”

“…Lira et al (2020) and Carolan et al (2020) argued that these disruptions have potential for transformation. Several studies have been published to understand changes caused by COVID-19 and how it impacted healthcare professionals, including those workers engaged in the academic environment (Robinson, 2020; Singaram & Sofika, 2022; Vipler et al, 2022). As faculty strove to continue providing high-quality education to students during the COVID-19 pandemic, they faced a radical and life-changing experience (Bartholomay, 2022).…”

Developing New Teaching Materials to Enhance Students Learning and Engagement at University

“…Medical sciences, far from being negatively affected by the pandemic situation [12,13], have shown their importance to the current society once again. In this context, medical science education is the basis of sanitary professionals [14].…”