Virtual and online learning during COVID-19: the experience of community children’s nursing students
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Virtual and online learning during COVID-19: the experience of community children’s nursing students

Mark Whiting Consultant nurse, children’s community and specialist nursing, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, England
Lisa Whiting Professional lead, children’s nursing, School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, England
Karen Roberts-Edema Senior lecturer, community children’s nursing specialist practitioner programme, School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, England
Caroline Boyle Programme lead, community children’s nursing specialist practitioner programme, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, England
Heather Lane Pathway lead, community children’s nursing specialist practitioner programme, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Surrey, England
Mark Millar Lecturer in district nursing, City, University of London, London, England
Theresa Titchener Programme leader, specialist community and public health nursing programmes, School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To gain insights into the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the delivery of nurse education programmes

  • To learn about the experiences of students undertaking the community children’s nursing specialist practitioner programme during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • To explore positive and negative perceptions of different methods of delivering learning and teaching in the context of community children’s nurse education

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in significant changes to education delivery. For many university programmes this has included a move from face-to-face to virtual and online learning and teaching.

Aim To gain insight into the experiences of students undertaking the community children’s nursing specialist practitioner programme during the academic year 2020-21, when most learning and teaching was delivered using virtual and online methods as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method A survey questionnaire containing qualitative and quantitative questions was distributed to 28 students by programme leaders at three universities in England. Seven questionnaires were returned, yielding a 25% response rate.

Findings Respondents’ experience of online and virtual learning was generally positive, with benefits for work-life balance and the opportunity to revisit recorded lectures being particularly well regarded. Loss of opportunity for face-to-face engagement with fellow students and the teaching team were identified as disadvantages.

Conclusion There was strong student support for the provision of more flexible approaches to learning and teaching. Universities should recognise that failure to offer such flexibility could potentially affect recruitment and the viability of courses in the future.

Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2023.e1462

Peer review

This article has been subject to open peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

mark.whiting1@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Whiting M, Whiting L, Roberts-Edema K et al (2023) Virtual and online learning during COVID-19: the experience of community children’s nursing students. Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2023.e1462

Published online: 20 March 2023

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