Pandemic response: The identification of alternative clinical hours to ensure advanced practice nursing students meet program requirements.

Abstract

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in the abrupt withdrawal of clinical sites for advanced practice nursing students which worsened an already challenging placement process. Few studies to date have analyzed the use of alternative clinical practice experiences used to facilitate the completion of program requirements by advanced practice nursing students beyond direct hour requirements. The faculty team from one university decided to track and analyze their use of alternative clinical practice experiences for advanced practice nursing students actively enrolled during the first semester of the pandemic. The team collated student alternative hour entries within the clinical courses for review and statistical analysis. Data included input from advanced practice nursing students in family, pediatric primary care, adult gerontology primary care, adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner concentrations, and nursing education, doctor of nursing practice, and nurse anesthesia programs. A total of 569 advanced practice nursing students participated in 15 distinct alternative clinical activities. There was a significant effect of students' program concentration on total number of virtual case study hours logged, F (6, 562) = 9.45, p < .0001, and a significant effect of students' program concentration on total number of continuing education hours logged, F (6, 562) = 7.79, p < .0001. Results can inform the use of concentration-specific alternative activities for advanced practice nursing students to address gaps in clinical experiences.