Overcoming Obstacles in Professional Development During COVID-19

Abstract

The unexpected challenges of COVID-19 forced our nation to "rework" normal practices and routines. Kathy Chappell states that nurse professional development practitioners must be problem focused and solution oriented. Led by a nurse professional development specialist, planners employed innovation and creativity to address the problems found in one professional development program. This article assures readers that remote day-long conferences are well accepted and useful in today's fast-paced learning environment.A ssessment, planning, implementing, and evaluating are all steps in the nursing process used to guide the provision of programs by the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing (CON) Office of Professional Development. A request from the Veterans Administration (VA) and responses from nursing needs assessments were used to plan a "face-to-face" Gerontological Nursing Update. Because of the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, plans for a "face-to-face" conference presented one obstacle after another in the planning and implementation phases of the process.

Meeting Practice Transition Accreditation Program Standards Amidst a Pandemic Through a Virtual Blended Preceptor Course

“…According to Davis and Chappell (2021), detailed planning of Internet-based teaching methodologies can deliver content effectively. Blended virtual settings are innovative solutions to the current complexities (lack of large rooms, limited space, pandemic, and cost of materials) encountered by NPD practitioners.…”