There have been substantial developments in nursing education during the last few decades. These changes have led to creation of new types of programs and courses. Some of these changes aim to determine the mastery of subjects, while others are geared toward creating an integrated and diverse nursing workforce. For example, testing measures are being developed to measure the knowledge of the issues to be taught. Academic-service partnerships are being established to provide nursing students with the skills and experience necessary to succeed in a complex healthcare environment.

Academic-service partnerships

Academic-service partnerships (ASPs) are strategic relationships between an educational institution and a service organization. They can be formal or informal and provide benefits to both parties. These relationships often involve a joint management committee that creates a framework for collaboration.

The ASP model has evolved over the past two decades, with many organizations promoting ASPs. However, more studies must be conducted on the effectiveness of such programs. ASPs are often time-consuming and can be complex to establish. Despite the increasing popularity of ASPs, there has yet to be a comprehensive systematic review of these programs.

A literature review of academic-service partnership programs reveals a few key elements. The main ones include mutual trust and open communication. Successful partnerships begin with a collaborative planning process, where each partner brings something unique and valuable to the block.

Although several studies have focused on the clinical education component of the ASP, only a few have specifically investigated the service-learning member of the partnership. For instance, a study conducted in Brazil describes a cooperative inter-organizational relationship between an education and healthcare organization.

Testing measures to determine subject mastery

Various testing measures have been employed in changes in nursing education over the years. However, most of these tests have been criticized by several testing experts. Moreover, they have been unable to isolate traits that consistently identify the most likely successful students. Therefore, higher education institutions must redesign their testing measures to determine subject mastery.

In addition to traditional assessments, mastery learning programs have been found to improve academic performance. However, more research needs to look into the effectiveness of remediation in low-level pupils. Fortunately, an innovative private non-profit university has developed a curriculum based on the mastery learning concept.

Mastery learning is a non-traditional pedagogy that emphasizes collaborative learning and assesses learning. It also relies on faculty to provide appropriate quality instruction. This approach has been shown to improve the academic performance of underrepresented minority and low-GPA students.

Testing measures that identify subject mastery include the entrance assessment. These tests are designed to assess students’ proficiency in English language use, math skills, and science aptitude. They can also be used to identify students who need remediation.

Diversity of the nursing workforce

The diversity of the nursing workforce is essential to ensuring patient quality care. It also promotes patient satisfaction and emotional well-being.

As the United States population becomes more diverse, the nursing profession must attract and retain a workforce that reflects this ethnically varied society. Increasing the diversity of the nursing workforce will enable the work to address health inequities in historically underserved communities.

Diverse nurses can provide care to various patients in a culturally relevant way based on the patient’s specific needs. They can better incorporate the patient’s culture into their care, making them more comfortable with the service they are receiving.

Nurses from minority groups are more likely to advocate for services in their community, promoting better health for their residents. Moreover, nurses from minority groups are more likely to work in resource-poor communities, which often have higher rates of unmet medical needs and poorer health outcomes.

COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing students faced several challenges in clinical training. These challenges included a lack of proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and adjusting to the new reality.

Nurses found themselves in a unique leadership position as the disease became increasingly widespread. While many nurses were laid off and forced to retire, others were offered early retirement options.

To prevent the illness from spreading, instructors and patients avoided unnecessary touch. It had a profound impact on teaching methods. The need for innovative solutions to promote training emerged.

Nurses were also faced with the challenge of providing quality care to patients. In addition, pregnant women were restricted from ambulating during labor. There was a shortage of nurses, and some were furloughed.

Nursing schools had to find ways to accommodate the increasing number of students. Some institutions needed help to recruit and retain sufficient faculty. Others had to reduce the number of students accepted.