Practical programs like nursing have taken a serious hit to their in-person training this year. Most colleges and universities across Canada have taken a blended learning approach, with some programs switching entirely online amid the pandemic.
Western-Fanshawe Collaborative BScN Program is no exception, according to second year student, Salma Hussein. Second year of this collaborative program is meant to see students expanding on their knowledge from first year, with eight hours of in-person training split between labs and simulations. Hussein said that’s not the case this year.
“This year we’re doing around four hours in-person and only an hour and a half of simulation,” she said.
Hussein called this a downside because it makes getting a “feel” for things more challenging.
“There’s a lot of things we have to compensate for like, verbalizing a lot of things whereas when you’re in person you don’t really have to do a lot of verbalization,” she said. “I think just the fact that we’re not able to be there and, like, touch things as much as we would be. Feeling for ourselves how things would be.”
She conceded that the little time they do get in-person is being used as best as it can be.
“I feel like the teachers are doing their best to make sure that they’re covering everything,” she said.
The challenge of online learning
Via. Western University
As with many students this year, students like Hussein have been dealing with lots of new challenges as more and more school work moves online.
“I’ve been feeling a little less organized on certain classes,” said Hussein. “You tend to put things on the back burner because not all of our classes are live.”
That means some classes are pre-recorded, giving students the option to watch the lecture whenever they can. Hussein said this means her and other students need to be even more strategic with their time management.
Professors in the program are also doing their best to be available to students, but the reliance on technology has sometimes made it a struggle for students to connect with their professors.
“It’s not really their fault,” admitted Hussein. “They’re trying to adapt to the changes as much as we are, but there have been technical issues that we’re all trying to get used to.”
As the weeks go by, Hussein said things have begun getting easier, as teachers and students adjust to the new normal.
“They’re predicting what we need and they’re like, helping us get through things that are confusing.”
More inspired than ever
Training to work in healthcare amid a pandemic is no small task. We’ve seen healthcare workers on the frontlines this year, putting their safety on the line to save lives and treat this deadly virus. Hussein said living through it all has only strengthened her desire to work in healthcare.
“I feel like I didn’t know the difficulties of healthcare, more than I did this year,” she said. “It just showed me how much everyone relies on healthcare, how much it’s so important. It’s one of those professions that are undermined and people don’t realize how much it’s needed until something like this happens.”
The changes to the collaborative nursing program’s curriculum won’t effect students graduating time, and in spite of the distanced learning model, students like Hussein feel they are not missing out on much.
For more information on the program visit Western’s website.
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