Page 15 - SFHN Feb 2021

HEALTHCARE EDUCATION HEALTHCARE EDUCATION HEALTHCARE EDUCATION

Nursing Education in the Midst of Change

Nurses occupy vital roles in our students must bal- “real world” learning environments, Fortis To accommodate social distancing and a
our healthcare system, and it is ance work and family acquired sophisticated learning resources reduced number of students sitting for the
our job to ensure we ensure we responsibilities while that provide virtual simulation experi- test at a time, the length of the exam and
train future nurses who are well- attending their nursing ences that provide students with “real-life” the number of questions asked has been
qualified to care for patients. courses, all while man- situations. These new tools use video, sim- decreased. This will allow more students
Our nursing schools have a rep- aging new COVID-19 ulation resources and life-like patient man- to sit the exam in a day. However, the level
utation for providing some of protocols. Our dedicated nequins to introduce and build students’ of difficulty and passing standard for the
the best nursing education in the faculty work with each learning on key concepts of patient care. exam has not changed. All these changes
nation, and this is because we student to ensure their When our students were able to come to are noted on the NCSBN website.
continue to innovate and pivot success and often host campus, our programs adapted to CDC To date, the four Florida Fortis Nursing
our curriculum to meet the late-night study sessions guidelines for the reduced capacity, social Education programs (Fortis Colleges in
needs of our current environ- or offer support in distancing, masking and cleaning proto- Cutler Bay and Orange Park and Fortis
ment. BY SHEILA A. BURKE, between work shifts. cols. Institutes in Pensacola and Port St. Lucie)
This has never been truer. DNP, MBA Even after we emerge have prepared hundreds of nursing candi-
Delivering a quality and rigorous from this pandemic, its NCLEX Licensure dates to sit for the NCLEX exam and their
nursing education is our highest priority, influence will be felt for years to come. Even the licensure exam has been pass rates continue to among the highest
especially in the face of COVID-19. The role nurses played in the war against impacted by COVID. in the state. Fortis Nursing Education also
What does this mean for Fortis nursing the virus will be taught in classes and used To obtain licensure, nursing candidates has programs in 6 other states, serving
students? as a shining example of the vital role nurs- must demonstrate knowledge and clinical more than 1,000 students.
es play in our healthcare system. skills as well as successfully pass the Undoubtedly, this has been a tremen-
COVID-19 and Nursing national nursing exam, known as the dously challenging time to provide nurs-
The pandemic has had a tremendous New Ways to Teach NCLEX. Some states also have additional ing education, but it has also been
influence on the nursing profession. As a For nursing educators, the pandemic requirements including demonstrated extremely rewarding. The Fortis program
result, we have modified our coursework also created changes in the structure, health and mental well-being, competency is proud of its student-centric model of
so our graduates can enter the workforce delivery and management of nursing edu- in English and no felony convictions. education and is focused on tailoring each
ready to meet the challenges of caring for cation programs almost overnight. Like Due to the tremendous advances in program to deliver the required nursing
patients during COVID. many schools, we faced the challenges of healthcare knowledge and recent events education in the most effective manner
Nurses on the frontlines must constant- continuing our programs digitally and in a caused by the pandemic, the National possible.
ly use their critical thinking skills to make socially distant fashion. Fortis’s nursing Council of State Boards of Nursing
split-second decisions. Because of this shift program moved online almost overnight (NCSBN) redesigned the NCLEX exami- If you are interested in joining this heroic
in responsibilities, much of our course- and adjusted its systems for a population nations (both versions). These changes profession, please contact us at
work now includes a strong focus on crit- of students (and faculty) who were no focus on evaluating the candidate’s level of (855) 436-7867 or visit our nursing
ical thinking and complex, essential deci- longer able to access the campus or clinical critical thinking and their readiness to website at fortis.edu/programs/nursing to
sion-making skills. But this high intensity sites. We surveyed students to determine manage the complex and high-risk types learn more. We welcome you and look for-
work environment can take a toll on nurs- the types of technology that they had avail- of decisions faced in providing nursing ward to preparing you for your chosen career.
es, so we now include curriculum that able and we used this information to guide care in today’s rapidly changing environ-
addresses burnout, stress management and how we transitioned our learning activities ment.
crisis management. We also place an to a virtual world. Our team of nursing
emphasis on health protocols, proper directors and faculty deserve kudos for the
mask wearing, and the importance of per- ingenuity and creativity they displayed for
sonal protective equipment (PPE). making this a reality.
Our programs, known for their flexibili- The changes we implemented went far
ty, have become even more accommodat- beyond the use of conferencing technolo-
ing amid quarantine measures. Many of gy. In an effort to provide students with

FAU Launches New Telehealth

Certification Course

With the arrival of the pandemic, more healthcare professionals nationwide turned
to telehealth or telemedicine to remain engaged with their patients. Telehealth con-
nects patients to vital healthcare services through videoconferencing, remote moni-
toring, electronic consults and wireless communications. These “virtual” visits have
significantly increased in popularity due in large part to the many benefits they pro-
vide – most notably – reducing everyone’s exposure to COVID-19.
In response to this “virtual” healthcare boom, Florida Atlantic University’s
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing has launched a new telehealth certification
course that provides the essential knowledge to deliver skilled telehealth services
with competence and care. The 20-hour, fully online course addresses telehealth plat-
forms and models for practice; evidence-based telehealth technology; quality
improvement measures; regulation, policy and reimbursement; telehealth inter-pro-
fessional practice and specialized populations; and telehealth and the future.
For the program, experts will focus on topics related to health equity, improving
access, health disparities, and inter-professional practice with specific populations in
relationship to the application and implementation of various telehealth platforms.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage with each other as well as experts in
the translation of telehealth technology into practice.
“The pandemic has changed the means by which health professionals communicate
with their patients, which is why we developed this telehealth certification course,”
said Tamara Love, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, assistant professor, FAU’s Christine E. Lynn
College of Nursing. “We want to ensure that clinicians are effectively prepared. This
program will provide them with the tools and knowledge they need when communi-
cating virtually so that all patients receive the compassionate care they are seeking
and moreover, to preserve the ‘human touch’ during these challenging times.”

For more information, visit nursing.fau.edu/telehealth
or call (561) 297-6261 or email telehealth@health.fau.edu.

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com February 2021 15