Title : Addressing challenges in pre-licensure community public health nursing education: The role of virtual reality in enhancing learning and workforce development
Abstract:
Community public health nursing education plays a pivotal role in pre-licensure programs. It not only equips future nurses with the necessary skills to promote and protect population health, but also enables them to effectively address social determinants and respond to public health challenges. The challenges that prelicensure nursing education in community public health faces are not just hurdles, but potential roadblocks to the progress of the nursing profession. These challenges, including an insufficient curriculum focus on public health topics, limited clinical placement opportunities, and a shortage of qualified faculty, are further compounded by resource constraints, an overloaded curriculum, and the perception among students that public health nursing is less prestigious or financially rewarding than other specialties. This situation not only hampers the preparedness of students but also perpetuates the shortage of nurses in the public health field, creating a cycle of deepening issues. To ensure future success and improve population health, nursing education must evolve, focusing on community/public health nursing competencies and creating opportunities to train more community- oriented nurses. This approach will also address the changing needs of students and the broader healthcare landscape. The rapidly evolving healthcare landscape also requires continuous curriculum updates. Policy constraints and limited funding sources also restrict the flexibility needed for nursing programs to innovate and incorporate new community health content and teaching methods. Integrating virtual reality (VR) into the curriculum is not just a potential solution but a beacon of hope to enhance the learning process in community public health nursing education for pre-licensure nursing students. Evidence indicates that VR can significantly improve competency-based learning experiences and make the educational model more engaging in nursing education. While its effectiveness in community public health nursing education for entry-level students is not well-documented, the potential it holds to create a more interactive and realistic training environment aligned with a competency-based curriculum is immense. This approach will offer an opportunity to address the historical decline in the community public health nursing workforce, paving the way for a more robust and competent nursing workforce.
Audience Take Away:
- Understand the significant challenges faced in pre-licensure community public health nursing education.
- Discuss the necessity for nursing education to evolve by focusing on community/public health nursing competencies and addressing the changing needs of students and the healthcare landscape.
- Discuss current evidence and identify gaps regarding the effectiveness of VR in community public health nursing education for entry-level students, and how it can help build a skilled workforce.
- Evaluate how integrating virtual reality (VR) into the curriculum can enhance competency-based learning and create a more engaging educational model for pre-licensure nursing students.
