Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s Students

BackgroundIn the master’s program of advanced practice nursing at a Norwegian university college, the learning activity reflection groups were converted into virtual reflection group (VRG) meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of the students’ clinical practices i...

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Main Authors: Jofrid Berit Høybakk, Andréa Aparecida Gonçalves Nes, Monica Evelyn Kvande, Marianne Trygg Solberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2022-09-01
Series:JMIR Nursing
Online Access:https://nursing.jmir.org/2022/1/e40418
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author Jofrid Berit Høybakk
Andréa Aparecida Gonçalves Nes
Monica Evelyn Kvande
Marianne Trygg Solberg
author_facet Jofrid Berit Høybakk
Andréa Aparecida Gonçalves Nes
Monica Evelyn Kvande
Marianne Trygg Solberg
author_sort Jofrid Berit Høybakk
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundIn the master’s program of advanced practice nursing at a Norwegian university college, the learning activity reflection groups were converted into virtual reflection group (VRG) meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of the students’ clinical practices in different hospitals, they could participate in the same VRG meeting on the web together with the educator from the university college, and the clinical supervisors were invited to participate. The students were in the process of developing the core competence required in their role as advanced practice nurses (APNs), and they had increased responsibility in the implementation of the VRG meetings. ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to explore how master’s students of advanced practice nursing experienced VRG meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsA qualitative exploratory design was adopted using focus group interviews. A group of students in the master’s program of advanced practice nursing participated in an interview that lasted for 60 minutes. They had experienced participating in the VRG meetings following a rigorous guide during their clinical practice. The data from the focus group were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. ResultsThe main findings of this study highlighted the importance of structure in VRG meetings, the role of increased responsibility in students’ learning processes, the development of APN students’ competencies, and increased professional collaboration with clinical supervisors. The APN students and clinical supervisors also continued their discussions in the clinical setting afterward, which strengthened the collaboration between students’ education in the master’s program and their clinical practice. ConclusionsVRG meetings gave the students the opportunity to lead professional discussions while reflecting thoroughly on the chosen patient cases from clinical practice. They experienced receiving feedback from fellow students, supervisors, and educators as stimulating their critical thinking development.
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spelling doaj.art-0eb1071261c542d2867f17f3c5dc74e52023-08-28T23:05:30ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Nursing2562-76002022-09-0151e4041810.2196/40418Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s StudentsJofrid Berit Høybakkhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6454-8372Andréa Aparecida Gonçalves Neshttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0684-1401Monica Evelyn Kvandehttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4384-4695Marianne Trygg Solberghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2828-0759 BackgroundIn the master’s program of advanced practice nursing at a Norwegian university college, the learning activity reflection groups were converted into virtual reflection group (VRG) meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of the students’ clinical practices in different hospitals, they could participate in the same VRG meeting on the web together with the educator from the university college, and the clinical supervisors were invited to participate. The students were in the process of developing the core competence required in their role as advanced practice nurses (APNs), and they had increased responsibility in the implementation of the VRG meetings. ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to explore how master’s students of advanced practice nursing experienced VRG meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsA qualitative exploratory design was adopted using focus group interviews. A group of students in the master’s program of advanced practice nursing participated in an interview that lasted for 60 minutes. They had experienced participating in the VRG meetings following a rigorous guide during their clinical practice. The data from the focus group were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. ResultsThe main findings of this study highlighted the importance of structure in VRG meetings, the role of increased responsibility in students’ learning processes, the development of APN students’ competencies, and increased professional collaboration with clinical supervisors. The APN students and clinical supervisors also continued their discussions in the clinical setting afterward, which strengthened the collaboration between students’ education in the master’s program and their clinical practice. ConclusionsVRG meetings gave the students the opportunity to lead professional discussions while reflecting thoroughly on the chosen patient cases from clinical practice. They experienced receiving feedback from fellow students, supervisors, and educators as stimulating their critical thinking development.https://nursing.jmir.org/2022/1/e40418
spellingShingle Jofrid Berit Høybakk
Andréa Aparecida Gonçalves Nes
Monica Evelyn Kvande
Marianne Trygg Solberg
Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s Students
JMIR Nursing
title Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s Students
title_full Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s Students
title_fullStr Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s Students
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s Students
title_short Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s Students
title_sort exploring the impact of virtual reflection groups on advanced practice nurse students during the covid 19 pandemic focus group study with master s students
url https://nursing.jmir.org/2022/1/e40418
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