Ad hoc digital communication and assessment during clinical placements in nursing education; a qualitative research study of students’, clinical instructors’, and teachers’ experiences

BACKGROUND: There was a concern about the shortage of nurses that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, universities and university colleges were instructed to continue educating nursing professionals but were challenged by the social distancing and the limitations of clinical placements and clinical-field instructors. Clinical placement is essential in the students’ development of practical skills and knowledge. Thus, transitioning to a digital follow-up platform of communication with the students between the universities/college and the clinical practice sites became necessary. PURPOSE: To obtain knowledge about the experiences from the university/college teachers, students, and clinical-field instructors regarding the transition to a digital learning environment that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Qualitative individual digital interviews were conducted for data collection at three different nursing education programs from three Norwegian university/university college sites. Five students, four clinical-field instructors, and nine university/college teachers participated (n = 18). RESULTS: The inductive analyses identified two main themes: (1) Efficiency compromising pedagogical quality, and (2) Digital alienation. CONCLUSIONS: Students and university/college teachers were worried about fluctuating quality with digital pedagogical. There were concerns that the students educated during this period will have reduced clinical competencies.