The measured impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students’ wellbeing, clinical placement and learning experiences: a cross sectional study

Sheppard-Law, Suzanne; Lamb, Aimee; Zeng, Ling; Axisa, Carmen; Causby, Belinda; Matiuk, Sonia; Levett-Jones, Tracy

doi:10.1080/10376178.2023.2300414

Contemporary Nurse

2024

DOI: 10.1080/10376178.2023.2300414

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The measured impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students’ wellbeing, clinical placement and learning experiences: a cross sectional study

Suzanne Sheppard-Law,

Aimee Lamb,

Ling Zeng

et al.

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Rural nursing and allied health placements during the latter stage of the COVID‐19 public health emergency: A national study

Jessup,

Brand,

Kirschbaum

et al. 2024

Australian J Rural Health

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ObjectiveTo explore changes to rural nursing and allied health placements during the latter stage of the COVID‐19 public health emergency.SettingRegional, rural and remote Australia.ParticipantsNursing and allied health students with a scheduled University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) facilitated rural placement between 1 January 2022 and 31 October 2022.DesignCross‐sectional online survey (n = 333), followed by semi‐structured interviews (n = 21).ResultsAlmost all students surveyed (98.5%) were able to undertake their placement, although 13.1% reported changes to the setting, timing or delivery of training. Placement tasks (47.3%), experience of the local community (39.0%) and connection with other students (39.6%) were the placement aspects most commonly reported to have changed. However, most students were satisfied with their placement (86.0%), agreed their placement provided quality clinical training (79.3%) and wanted to work rurally after their experience (73.2%). Nursing students had lower odds of reporting satisfaction with placement (OR, 0.49 [95% CI 0.24–0.99, p = 0.03]), while placements longer than 4 weeks had almost twice the odds of promoting rural intention (OR, 1.84 [95% CI 1.09–3.15, p = 0.02]). Placement changes were associated with: fear of contracting COVID‐19; circulating illness; health workforce shortages; and health and safety compliance.ConclusionsDespite changes, most students found rural placements undertaken during 2022 to be quality learning experiences which left them satisfied and wanting to work rurally. UDRHs should advocate for longer placements, improve remote supervision and accommodation infrastructure, and help prepare and support students for challenging learning environments to promote positive rural training experiences during public health emergencies.

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Rural nursing and allied health placements during the latter stage of the COVID‐19 public health emergency: A national study

Jessup,

Brand,

Kirschbaum

et al. 2024

Australian J Rural Health

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Perspectives of work readiness among Australian health students trained during the COVID-19 pandemic

Podubinski,

Jessup,

Kirschbaum

et al. 2024

BMC Med Educ

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Background To explore perspectives of work readiness, including readiness to work rurally, among health students trained in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Participants were allied health, medicine, and nursing students in the later years of their degree (third, fourth or final year of an undergraduate entry to practice degree, or second year of postgraduate entry to practice degree), where training is clinically immersive. These students had completed a University Department of Rural Health facilitated rural and remote placement between January 2021 and October 2022. They participated in a cross-sectional online survey (n = 426), comprising Likert-scale questions. Interested survey respondents participated in a semi-structured interview (n = 34). Multiple logistic regression was conducted to examine the predictors of work readiness within the survey, and interview data was analysed via reflexive thematic analysis. Results Among survey respondents, 69.7% felt they would be ready to be a health practitioner when the time came to graduate and 71.8% felt clinically prepared to work in a rural location. Concerns about having developed enough clinical skills on placements to competently practice on graduation and being able to continue studying their course during the pandemic were both predictive of work readiness and feeling clinically prepared to work rurally. Four themes reflecting factors impacting work readiness were developed from interview data: (1) ‘I’d estimate probably a 20–30% reduction in face-to-face handling practice over the course of all of my placements’ encompassed student concerns regarding the collective impact of cancelled placements and lower patient attendance at healthcare facilities on clinical skill development; (2) ‘Two and a half years of sitting behind a computer’ related to student experiences of superficial learning and cohort disconnectedness due to online course delivery and loss of on campus simulations; (3) ‘I’ll still need like a lot of support in my grad year’ related to students recognising the need for support and supervision post-qualifying to bridge the gaps in their learning; and (4) ‘We are the COVID nurses’ encompassed student recognition of skills gained including communication skills, competence with technology and telehealth, knowledge of infection control, and work readiness skills (e.g. adaptability and resilience) as a result of training during the global pandemic. Conclusions Universities can support work readiness during pandemic circumstances by fostering clinical skills development through continuation of quality placement experiences and face-to-face curriculum delivery. Although health graduates trained during the pandemic are likely to have a range of additional work ready skills, health services will need to proactively support their transition into the workforce in the coming years.

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The measured impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students’ wellbeing, clinical placement and learning experiences: a cross sectional study

Cited by 2 publications

References 50 publications

Rural nursing and allied health placements during the latter stage of the COVID‐19 public health emergency: A national study

Rural nursing and allied health placements during the latter stage of the COVID‐19 public health emergency: A national study

Perspectives of work readiness among Australian health students trained during the COVID-19 pandemic

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