Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions on nursing education during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: A national sample

Background: In 2020, nursing educational programs were abruptly interrupted and largely moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose: To explore nursing students' perspectives about the effects of the pandemic on their education and intention to join the nursing workforce. Methods: Undergraduate nursing students from 5 universities across 5 United States regions were invited to participate in an online survey to elicit both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings: The final sample included quantitative data on 772 students and qualitative data on 540 students. Largely (65.1%), students reported that the pandemic strengthened their desire to become a nurse; only 11% had considered withdrawing from school. Qualitatively, students described the effect of the pandemic on their psychosocial wellbeing, adjustment to online learning, and challenges to clinical experiences. Conclusion: Findings highlighted the need to develop emergency education preparedness plans that address student wellbeing and novel collaborative partnerships between schools and clinical partners. Cite this article: Michel, A., Ryan, N., Mattheus, D., Knopf, A., Abuelezam, N.N., Stamp, K., Branson, S., Hekel, B., & Fontenot, H.B. (2021, September/October). Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions on nursing education during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: A national sample. Nurs Outlook, 69(5), 903-912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.05.004.

Automated summary

The study investigated the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic on nursing education and the willingness of nursing students to join the workforce, revealing that most students reported that the pandemic strengthened their desire to become a nurse, with only a small percentage considering dropping out. Students mentioned the effects of the pandemic on psychosocial well-being, adjustment to online learning, and challenges in clinical experiences. The research highlighted the need for developing emergency education preparedness plans and fostering innovative partnerships between schools and clinical partners.