Evaluation of the delivery of an intensive care nursing course during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Monash University offers graduate study in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nursing. Course delivery of graduate ICU nursing was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring adaptation from fully on-campus to fully online modes throughout 2020. From 2021, a flexible hybrid approach was implemented allowing students the choice of either mode, in addition to asynchronous online learning.

AIM/OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the delivery of a graduate ICU nursing course during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using an anonymous online survey was administered to students from March 2020 to June 2023. Data items included delivery mode, content, learning activities, and clinical experience using a Likert scale and open-ended questions. Descriptive analysis of the sample was reported as mean or median depending on the distribution pattern. Free-text responses underwent thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Thirteen cohorts of students (n = 948) yielded 539 responses, representing a 57% response rate. On-campus attendance increased significantly from 29.2% in 2021 to 44.4% in 2023, while online attendance has decreased to 48.9% from 65.8% in 2021. Overall, satisfaction with learning has risen for both on-campus and online students. On-campus satisfaction almost doubled from 23.3% in 2021 to 43.6% in 2023, while online satisfaction varied between 42.1% and 59.3% since 2021. Students appreciate the flexibility of the hybrid model but suggest separating the two modalities to enhance the student experience.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated innovative changes in course delivery, leading to the adoption of flexible learning modalities. While students appreciated the flexibility of the hybrid model, further efforts are required to seamlessly integrate both modalities during synchronous teaching.