Maternal and Child Health Nursing education before and during COVID-19: An exploratory descriptive study

Abstract

Background: Major disruptions to higher education during COVID-19 resulted in a rapid shift to online learning and associated adaptations to teaching and assessment practices, including for postgraduate programs requiring practical skill development such as nursing and midwifery. Educator perspectives of this transition have not been widely studied.

Purpose: This qualitative descriptive study aimed to describe Australian postgraduate Maternal, Child and Family Health nurse educators' perceptions of COVID-19 impacts on student knowledge of theory and practice, and lessons learned through their responses.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were reflexively thematically analyzed.

Results: All participants recognized struggles, opportunities and innovations within three key themes: "We've learned how to be flexible": Grappling with COVID-safe teaching and assessment; "Chat rooms and Zoomland": Learning in a virtual community; and "We've had a few struggles": Clinical placement tensions. Educators described a sense of uncertainty, increased flexibility, opportunities for change and new ways of connecting. They adapted by developing new online resources and broadening clinical practicum and assessment requirements to address new practice approaches including telehealth.

Conclusions: Rapidly changing practice requirements and concerns about risk of disease transfer between workplace and placement venues restricted placement opportunities. Educators learned and incorporated new skills and strategies into their teaching, while aiming to meet professional expectations and maintain quality of education. Some strategies are likely to be maintained for future education programs.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Community health nursing; Maternal-child health; Qualitative studies; Specialist nurse education; Telehealth.