Impact of COVID-19 on public health nursing student learning outcomes

Cygan, Heide; Bejster, Mallory; Tribbia, Carly; Vondracek, Hugh

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of a strong, effective public health nursing workforce while also requiring public health nursing faculty to adapt teaching strategies as courses transitioned online. It is essential to understand how the pandemic-enforced transition from face-to-face to remote learning impacts student outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to compare student learning outcomes in a pre-licensure public health nursing course before, during, and after the transition to remote learning. METHODS: Descriptive statistics were computed for assignments, exams, and final course grades for three terms (Fall 2019, Spring 2020 and Fall 2020). RESULTS: Analysis showed statistically significant differences between terms for assignments and exams but not the final course grade. However, these differences were driven by small standard deviations rather than differences between mean scores demonstrating that there was actual little difference in student learning outcomes across terms. CONCLUSIONS: Authors suggest strategies to support consistent academic outcomes and future research needed understand student learning outcomes during the pandemic; ultimately building the public health nursing workforce necessary to address the current and future public health crises.