Student Interviews Exploring the Influence of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Graduate Nursing Education.

Introduction: Advanced practice nurses are needed to fill the primary healthcare gap in the United States. Advanced practice/graduate nursing students were profoundly affected by the coronavirus pandemic in ways that may impact their educational experience. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the influence of the coronavirus pandemic on the educational experience of graduate nursing students. Methods: An exploratory descriptive qualitative study using semistructured video conferencing interviews of 11 graduate nursing students at one university in the United States was conducted during July 2020. Data were explored using theme analysis. Results: Four themes expressing the pandemic's impact on graduate student experience were identified: Alteration in human connections; Agility in action; Collaborative construction of change; and Metamorphosis emerging from disruption. The pandemic brought an alteration in how students connected with faculty, other students, and family. Many faculty and students responded with agility to the new mandates for social distancing. The students and faculty worked together to construct changes needed to provide the students with the required components of graduate education. These factors together created a metamorphosis in the functioning of the institution, breaking through hierarchical barriers in academia. Conclusion: The disruption in graduate nursing education due to the pandemic led to opportunities, including swift faculty innovation, a collaborative spirit between faculty and students, and new appreciation for connections with faculty and fellow students. Continuing intentional implementation of these opportunities would benefit students' experiences moving forward.

Graduate nursing student stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted graduate nursing students at work, home, and school. Stress can influence the ability to focus, study, and may delay continuation in graduate school. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the stressors of graduate nursing students during the pandemic. METHOD: A prospective, descriptive, online survey design was used to identify graduate nursing student stressors during the pandemic at one educational institution in the United States. Questions related to employment, COVID-19 exposure, institutional support, future graduate plans were summarized for the total sample and stratified by program (MS, DNP, PhD). Changes in a total stress score were evaluated pre and post onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 222 graduate nursing students completed the survey. The vast majority of students were employed before the pandemic and a significant decrease in employment occurred during the pandemic (97.3% to 90.1%, p < .001). Overall stress increased (p < .001). The increased total stress was associated with students participating in clinical rotations (q = 0.024) and having a change in work hours (q = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing schools need to address graduate student concerns during the pandemic, including having clear communication platforms and offering support services.