Becoming a Nurse in the Time of COVID-19 Stephanie Woods RN, PhD Dean and Professor Hunt Endowed Chair in Nursing Rick and Ginger Francis Endowed Dean Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing
Timeline • 12/01/19 First case in Wujan China • 02/27/20 First known case in US • 03/14/20 First case in El Paso • 03/16/20 Spring Break extended • 03/23/20 Classes go online
Highlights • Data, data, data • Communication is key • Online, simulation, clinical experience • Consistency vs. Flexibility
Data, Data, Data • Case counts, hospitalizations, ventilator use • CDC guidelines • Attestations • Accommodations • Clinical hours • Academic risk data • Student survey
Communication • COVID-19 Call • Communicating with Students: Emails Course communication via LMS (Canvas) Assemblies • Communicating with Faculty: Huddle Faculty meetings • Communicating with local clinical leaders Licensing delays, Governor’s Executive Orders r/t nursing schools • Communicating with TX Board of Nursing and Accreditation bodies (CCNE)
Course Delivery • Online courses delivered via Canvas Internet access, hot spots Not wanting to be on camera • Shifting from simulation labs (F2F) to online simulation Shadow Health Oxford UbiSim Google
Course Delivery • Clinical Experiences Case counts Accommodations Attestations/Screening Questions Access to PPE Facilities closing to students Student interactions with possible COVID-19 (People Under Investigation) - Student observations of questionable practices - Student exposure to COVID-19 positive medical resident
“ARDS is the most challenging and saddest diagnosis I have ever worked with. It upset me to see a patient in such a critical state. Even though the patient was very sick and a lot of clinicians were not sure about his outcome, my heart was fighting with him the whole day to push through so he can make a speedy recovery. ”
“Yesterday was an extremely difficult and busy day in Labor and Delivery. I know you wanted my opinion about how it feels to be back at clinical now that everyone is masked. Overall, I do feel better with everyone being masked. Some clinicians are choosing to wear a simple surgical mask while others are choosing to layer surgical masks with N95 masks or homemade cloth masks that contain a 5 layer carbon filter. I’m hoping for my fellow classmates and newer cohorts that universal masking will help them feel more at ease and comfortable about continuing clinicals. The challenges for me yesterday remained the same as I’ve stated in a previous email in regard to how I was going to provide reassurance and labor support for a patient who was totally alone in delivering her child. I just wanted to share with you that these patients are depressed, anxious, worried and lonely. What I saw yesterday just proved to me how valuable we as students can be for these patients who desperately need encouragement and uplifting interactions during a strict no visitor policy period. “
Consistency vs. Flexibility • Consistency Integrity, understanding social responsibilities to the community Professional acumen – communication with faculty, case counts Response to student issues • Flexibility Two failures and out rule
Future considerations • Continuing growth of positive cases, influenza and COVID-19 in Fall/Spring Impact on campus reopening Closure of hospitals to students Increasing the number of online simulations experiences, use of standardized patients Continued online delivery of lecture Access to PPE
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