Nurse practitioner students as an essential workforce: The lessons of coronavirus disease 2019

Gina Intinarelli; Laura M Wagner; Barbara Burgel; Robin Andersen; Catherine L Gilliss

doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2020.12.002

Nurse practitioner students as an essential workforce: The lessons of coronavirus disease 2019

Nurs Outlook. 2021 May-Jun;69(3):333-339. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2020.12.002. Epub 2020 Dec 9.

Authors

Gina Intinarelli¹, Laura M Wagner², Barbara Burgel¹, Robin Andersen¹, Catherine L Gilliss¹

Affiliations

¹ UCSF School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA.
² UCSF School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA. Electronic address: laura.wagner@ucsf.edu.

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disrupted the education and clinical training of nursing students. Clinical sites shut out students over low equipment supplies, physical distancing requirements, and redeployment of staff.

Purpose and methods: The purpose of this paper is to highlight a progressive solution to engage nurse practitioner students as part of the COVID-19 response given the disruption of their traditional clinical training environments so that student could continue to matriculate and graduate in a timely manner.

Findings: Nurse practitioner students swiftly responded and were deemed an essential part of the nursing workforce.

Discussion: Policy implications for advanced nursing practice and education for telehealth and simulation research moving forward is also provided.

Keywords: COVID-19; Education; Nurse practitioner; Pandemic; Telehealth; Training.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Education, Nursing, Graduate
Health Workforce*
Humans
Nurse Practitioners / education*
Scope of Practice
Students, Nursing*
Telemedicine*
Triage*

Grants and funding

T42 OH008429/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/United States