Decisions based on COVID-19 pandemic concerns, need for clinical experience
The Ohio State University College of Nursing announced today that it will pursue a blended approach to teaching, learning and clinical experiences, featuring online lecture courses and in-person labs and simulations for Autumn Semester 2020.
The college weighed the concerns about community spread of COVID-19 and the essential need for in-person clinical experiences for students across all programs.
“Every decision we are making is with the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and community at the top of our minds,” said Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, EBP-C, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing. “We will follow the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Wexner Medical Center for safety, including facial coverings, temperature checks and, when possible, physical distancing. Our students and faculty will follow personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines during lab and clinical experiences.”
Here are the college’s plans for Autumn Semester 2020, which are subject to change pending new data about the spread of the pandemic:
- All lecture courses across all programs will be offered online only. Any classes originally scheduled to meet in-person at a specific day/time will keep those time slots and be synchronous to maintain consistency in students’ schedules.
- In-person clinical experiences will move forward across all programs, utilizing guidance from the CDC and public health professionals.
- In-person meetings will be limited to students with requirements for clinical experiences and appropriate faculty and staff.
- All labs and simulations will be housed at Newton Hall.
- Details will be available to students through SIS/Buckeye Link.
“We know that this is a stressful time for our students, and we want to make the transition into Autumn Semester as seamless and supportive as possible,” said Cindy Anderson, PhD, APRN-CNP, ANEF, FAHA, FNAP, FAAN, senior associate dean for academic affairs and educational innovation at the College of Nursing. “While the delivery may be different in many ways, we will foster the community of learning and leading in our college to meet our students’ educational needs and prepare them to pursue their dreams in healthcare.”
More information about the university’s plans to facilitate a return to campus for students, faculty, staff and others is housed on the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website.
