Columbus, OH – October 14, 2020 – The pandemic caused a complete upheaval of normal life, including for those planning to enter the field of nursing during this critical time. Nursing students at Chamberlain University College of Nursing’s Columbus campus are hopeful and excited to join the workforce after pursuing their degree during unprecedented circumstances.
Meris Shuwarger was in clinical on March 13th when she was informed of the shutdown and told to go home. “Immediately, Chamberlain told us what the plan was. We were all unprepared because it was uncharted territory, but they did a great job,” she continued, “They didn’t let the unusual circumstances get in the way of us moving forward in our studies.”
While lectures remained relatively the same in a virtual setting, faculty and students had to be resourceful to ensure they received the best clinical and lab experiences. Ariel Wasserstrom was in a fundamental skills class when the pandemic hit, and said, “That class is where we learn all our basic skills, like inserting a feeding tube. That class was supposed to be spent checking off skills on campus, but instead we were challenged to improvise and demonstrate on video that we could complete our skills from home.”
Shuwarger noted that students had the opportunity to make video appointments with nursing faculty to watch them perform skills and provide feedback before submitting their final videos. “I think having that resource made learning fundamental nursing skills at home more doable, and you didn’t feel like you were completely on your own, hoping you were doing it correctly and safely,” she said.
Even though students weren’t able to have in-person clinical experiences, they worked with unfolding case studies that provided them a unique opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and examine diagnoses from a different perspective.
Malaysia Quijada was pleasantly surprised with the technology Chamberlain had available to enhance the distance learning experience. “We used a variety of technologies, such as I-Human, to do assessments on a virtual patient where we could ask questions and interact. I thought it was really cool and it kept us on our toes,” she said.
All three students agree that pursuing their degree during the pandemic has been both challenging and rewarding. “We learned to adapt and be flexible, and to go with the flow. That’s what nursing is about,” said Quijada. Though they weren’t on the frontlines, they had a unique opportunity to learn more about diagnosing and treating patients during a pandemic, which is an opportunity they would have missed had they pursued their degree at another point in time.
A common sentiment was felt by all: “If we can make it through this, we can make it through anything.”
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About Chamberlain University
Chamberlain University is a part of Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE). Chamberlain University’s mission is to educate, empower and embolden diverse healthcare professionals who advance the health of people, families, communities and nations. Chamberlain is comprised of the College of Nursing, which offers a three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program and flexible post-licensure programs such as the RN to BSN option, Master of Science in Nursing degree program, Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program and graduate certificates, and the College of Health Professions, which offers Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work degree programs. Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission www.hlcommission.org, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For the most updated accreditation information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation. To learn more, visit chamberlain.edu.
About Adtalem Global Education
The purpose of Adtalem Global Education is to empower students to achieve their goals, find success, and make inspiring contributions to our global community. ATGE (NYSE: ATGE; member S&P MidCap 400 Index) is a leading workforce solutions provider and the parent organization of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, Becker Professional Education, Chamberlain University, EduPristine, OnCourse Learning, Ross University School of Medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, please visit adtalem.com.
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