Nursing school dean discusses education changes due to COVID-19

“The pandemic is challenging us to design and deliver creative solutions to decreased availability of clinical settings yet still deliver effective education that meets professional standards and desirable learning outcomes,” Betty Nelson, PhD, RN, dean of the School of Nursing & Health Sciences at Capella University in Minneapolis, told HealthLeaders Media. In an interview, she discussed how nurse leaders have adapted education in response to the pandemic. As to what the future holds, Nelson said nursing programs are not homogenous. Not all have the resources or philosophical inclination to make greater use of simulation, for example. She would like to see more planning to anticipate changes to health systems, the environment, patient care sciences and community needs. (HealthLeaders Media article, 8/21/20)