Once the coronavirus pandemic hit South Florida, 国产主播 nursing instructor Yanet Velazquez Marichal had her in-person classes come to an abrupt halt.

鈥淢y biggest concern at first was that the students would not engage, but I鈥檝e made it a priority to keep that student-instructor relationship alive in my online classroom,鈥� Velazquez Marichal said. 鈥淚 wanted to continue to be as approachable and reachable as when we were on campus.鈥�

Like Velazquez Marichal, all WCU staff had to rethink the delivery of their instruction when the stay-at-home orders began. But despite the circumstances, the one thing they knew had to be maintained, was the student-centric culture for which the university is known.

鈥淎t first, it was overwhelming,鈥� WCU nursing student Danielle Ruiz said, 鈥渂ut the school made the transition as easy as possible for students to understand where they needed to be and what they needed to do.鈥�

WCU discovered innovative ways to teach and prepare students for a career in nursing while preserving those meaningful, face-to-face conversations that bring value to a student鈥檚 education and future nursing career.

With the help of technology, the university implemented a synchronous learning model to ensure students never missed a beat.

鈥淢y full, five-hour class time is spent on face-to-face video calls with the students where they can see me, and I can see them, and we can interact as a whole,鈥� Velazquez Marichal said.

Adaptability has been another critical component in WCU鈥檚 transition to online learning, closely monitoring student and instructor feedback, and making improvements accordingly.

From this feedback, a new video production tool was added as a resource for WCU instructors to enhance online teaching capabilities. It gives instructors access to high-quality video recording technology, allowing them to record supplemental videos for students from home about challenging topics such as math and dimensional analysis.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great for visual learners because the tool incorporates engaging graphics and text to support the video of the instructor lecturing,鈥� Velazquez Marichal said.

Another challenge WCU focused on was making its online clinical component more hands-on. The university hosted a drive-by where students could safely pick up a duffle bag with all the tools they鈥檇 need as a nursing student learning from home, including an IV, urinary catheter, blood pressure cup, and stethoscope.

鈥淣ow when I say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to talk about checking vital signs,鈥� the students bring out their stethoscope and follow along from their homes,鈥� Velazquez Marichal explains. 鈥淎nd maybe they don鈥檛 have the high-fidelity mannequins but they have something better 鈥� their family that they can practice with. It鈥檚 all about improvising.鈥�

WCU鈥檚 innovation extends far beyond the online classroom, designing an all-encompassing virtual experience for students to have access to the same resources that were available on campus. Whether it be chatting with NCLEX advisors for studying tips, preparing for an upcoming job interview, or scheduling peer-to-peer tutoring, students can stay engaged with campus life from home. The university even offers virtual 鈥渄estresser鈥� activities such as yoga, meditation, and games to provide students with mental health support as they face the challenges of today鈥檚 socially-distant environment. Despite these challenges, the pandemic introduced new approaches to nursing education that never had to be considered in the past.

鈥淲ith this online platform transformation, we have realized maybe there are more students we can reach that have all the intention and capability to become a nurse but don鈥檛 have the transportation or ability to be on campus,鈥� Velazquez Marichal said. 鈥淭hese circumstances have changed how accessible nursing becomes to a greater number of students.鈥�

WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.