Collaborative learning in the COVID-19 pandemic: A change to the delivery of undergraduate nursing education

Abstract

At the time of the first lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand, Bachelor of Nursing students were deemed non-essential workers and unable to complete clinical placements. This reflective piece describes an innovative solution to design meaningful learning activities for clinical placements in primary health care settings. With a focus on collaborative learning in a virtual team, student nurses participated in a project which focused on disaster nursing preparedness and management of the sequelae associated with a disaster, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. Appropriate e-learning short courses contributed to student preparation for clinical practice acting as a substitute to clinical experience. The learning outcomes for student nurses included enhanced teamwork, demonstration of leadership, relevant learning that enabled completion of the Bachelor of Nursing programme with work readiness.