Nurses are innovative. That’s just one of the many reasons we celebrate them during National Nurses Week May 6-12! When NDSU nursing faculty quickly pivoted to online learning during the coronavirus pandemic, many of them had previously used a variety of tools to teach students.

“We're trying to focus on helping each student meet the learning objectives (i.e. sterile technique) in a creative way,” said Kolby Schaeffer Fraase, assistant professor of practice in the NDSU School of Nursing.

While practicing social distancing measures, sanitizing surfaces and using scrupulous hand washing techniques in the Nursing Skills Lab, three faculty members engaged with students online.

​Using an iPad as the students’ eyes, they watched a faculty member perform a skill. The faculty member made numerous errors, and students used the chat box feature to provide feedback in real time. Students also were instructed to write down at least five things the instructor did well, and at least five things the instructor should work to improve upon.

“Essentially, the student became the teacher through evaluation,” said Schaeffer Fraase. The students submitted their feedback on Blackboard, and a group debrief occurred. Afterwards, the instructor did the skill again, but this time demonstrated it correctly without errors. 

Instructors used Zoom to work one-on-one with students who practiced portions of a sterile procedure at home (sterile gloving, setting up a sterile field, talking through the steps of the procedure, etc.)

In addition, faculty members used Collaborate to run live, online didactic courses.

“While the semester has meant a different way of delivering instruction, it has also showed us the adaptability and resilience of our students,” said Schaeffer Fraase. “These are just two of the many qualities that will help them in their future nursing careers.”