Qualitative Inquiry of Nurse Educators Transitioning from Classroom to Online Teaching

Abstract

In response to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations of meeting the goal of 80% of RNs prepared at the BSN level by 2020, an increase in graduates from RN-to-BSN completion programs must occur. One approach to meeting the IOM goal included recommending nursing schools offer defined academic pathways beyond articulation agreements and promote access for nurses to higher education. This goal can be met through online education, which is an effective way to reach students that are more diverse. Online education, however, requires a different pedagogy than the traditional classroom. Online education, defined as the educational process where the majority of the instruction occurs when student and instructor are not in the same place, and utilizes audio, video, or computer technology. A basic qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews, is the model used for this study. Audio interviews were used which provided participants with the opportunity to describe the challenges they experience when transitioning from traditional classroom instruction to online learning environment educating RNs in BSN completion programs. A purposive homogeneous sampling strategy was used for this study. The population includes nurse educators who have transitioned from traditional classroom instruction to the online environment to educate practicing RNs enrolled in BSN completion programs. Although each participant had a unique transition experience, analysis of the data revealed three categories (faculty, students and online environment) and 20 common themes related to challenges experienced by nurse educators who transitioned from the traditional classroom to the online learning environment. The themes were categorized by faculty, students and online environment. This study appears to support the need for education related to the pedagogy of online learning. In an effort to address the contributions of this research study, the results give needed background information to the need for professional development and mentorship as nurse educators’ transition from the traditional classroom to the online environment. Based on the literature review and results of the interviews, nurse educators as well as higher education professionals can also utilize professional development in the pedagogy of online teaching/learning.