COVID‐19 updates: Real‐time epidemiology for BSN community/public health nursing course

Farris, Cindy

Teaching nursing students about epidemiology is often a daunting task, with many lacking the knowledge and application of and interest in epidemiological elements. Baccalaureate science nursing (BSN) essentials state that BSN nursing students need educational applications for health promotion and disease prevention for effective population‐based communities. The COVID‐19 pandemic data have allowed for real‐time analysis and synthesis of live application of data which meets the specific requirements on current and future epidemiological problems. Nursing students can monitor weekly trends through disease surveillance and application to the surrounding community, providing for effective critical thinking and clinical judgment. Comparing weekly changes in data assists in developing interest on applying this information for practice. Discussion about background evidence, valid national, regional, and local websites, specific implementation steps, and overall student reflection feedback will be discussed.