Prior to the pandemic, Germanna Community College nursing program had established itself as a strong presence in the community clinical arena in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Students provided wellness screenings and health education for area homeless persons of all ages, performed clinical hours at the free clinic, and volunteered for organizations that serve populations that include battered persons, older adults, and those with mental disabilities.
COVID presented a challenge not only to nursing students required to perform clinical hours, but to the community organizations as well and Germanna worked with these organizations to adjust their approach to serve these populations in the best manner possible. Health education presentations emphasized safety, including proper handwashing and creating masks out of materials at hand.
Clinical simulations that taught or reinforced student knowledge of vulnerable populations also were modified using an “outside of the box” approach that not only increased student knowledge of these populations, but provided students with challenges that improved their communication skills and opportunities to interact in real time with members of the demographics of study.
Learning Objectives:
Describe innovated simulation opportunities for prelicensure nursing students in a community nursing class.
Identify communication strategies implemented for nursing students in the virtual settings due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Review the learning opportunities for nursing students to interact with vulnerable populations virtually using simulation combined with client interactions by phone and zoom.
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