Establishing a tutoring and academic support center: Collaborating with nurse educator students.

Academic demands challenge many nursing students as they embark on their professional journey to become competent nurses or further their education. Challenges with incorporating successful retention strategies were problematic during the worldwide COVID-19 public health emergency. Academic student support services were urgently needed. This article describes the successful development of a funded college campus's academic support service center using virtual nurse educator tutoring services for undergraduate and graduate nursing students. The mission of the center is to assist nursing students to become independent, self-confident, and efficient learners who successfully fulfill all academic nursing program requirements. Evidence-based education was provided to train tutors and refine their technology competencies. Tutoring was provided for graduate students to fulfill the need for similar types of academic support services. Metrics were collected to evaluate the relationship between tutoring and academic success indicators. Initial evaluations of tutoring sessions by tutees suggest that peer tutoring as an adjunctive teaching and learning strategy can positively impact academic performance. Findings included improved student quantitative measures including higher exam scores and GPAs along with qualitative outcomes suggesting increased critical thinking skills, self-direction, and self-confidence. Nurse educator student tutors gained valuable teaching experience that promoted their overall academic role development.

Transitioning from direct care to virtual clinical experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced university campuses and healthcare agencies to temporarily suspend both undergraduate and graduate direct care educational experiences, nursing programs had to formulate alternative plans to facilitate clinical learning. Texas Woman's University used this opportunity to assemble a faculty group tasked with creating a set of college-wide guidelines for virtual simulation use as a substitution for traditional face-to-face clinical. The process included completing a needs assessment of both undergraduate and graduate level programs across three campuses and identifying regulatory requirements and limitations for clinical experiences. The task force utilized the information gathered to develop evidence-based recommendations for simulation hour equivalence ratios and compiled a list of virtual activities and products faculty could use to complete clinical experiences. Undergraduate and graduate student surveys were conducted to determine the effectiveness of the transition to virtual clinical experiences. Overall, the majority of survey results were positive regarding virtual simulation experiences providing students with valuable opportunities to enhance their learning. Negative comments regarding the impact of COVID-19 on a personal level included issues involving internet access and web conferencing logistics, lack of motivation to study, family difficulties, and faculty inexperience teaching in an online environment. Undergraduate pre-licensure students were provided with opportunities to successfully complete all remaining required clinical hours virtually, while graduate students were allowed to complete non-direct care hours as applicable using virtual clinical experiences.