The Impact of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic on Undergraduate Nursing Students' Study of Anatomy and Physiology

Abstract

The COVID-19 global pandemic caused major disruptions to the delivery of human Anatomy and Physiology courses to nursing students worldwide. The aim of the current study is to evaluate nursing students' experiences and perceptions of transitioning from a blended to a purely online study mode for first year Anatomy and Physiology courses during the global pandemic. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used with a sample of undergraduate nursing students enrolled at a regional Australian university across its three campuses. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe the study population. Content analysis was used to evaluate the participants' use of resources, experiences, and preferences in studying anatomy and physiology. There were 101 participants recruited in the study. Results indicated that face-to-face study mode (41.86%) was the preferred method of delivery during the global pandemic and participants were having a renewed appreciation for the blended study mode (38.37%). Online study mode was the least preferred (19.77%), with the participants' opinions of this mode of study not altered by the global pandemic. Although the COVID-19 global pandemic shifted the traditional teaching of anatomy and physiology in nursing programs to an online environment, the long-term impacts of this disruption have yet to be ascertained.

Evolving strategies in whirlwind mode: The changing face of anatomy education during Covid‐19 pandemic

“…Among the 12 published articles identified through literature search and deemed appropriate for the present narrative review, nine of them were original research articles (Kim et al, 2020 ; Longhurst et al, 2020 ; Pather et al, 2020 ; Abdelkader & Barbagallo, 2021 ; Cheng et al, 2021 ; Harmon et al, 2021 ; Park et al, 2021 ; Singal et al, 2021 ; Yoo et al, 2021 ), two were review articles (Brassett et al, 2020 ; Nimavat et al, 2021 ), and one was letter to editor (Patra et al, 2021 ). It was noted that the articles were distributed across six geographical regions around the world: Republic of Korea (3); India (3); Australia and New Zealand (2); United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (2); People's Republic of China (1) and United States of America (1).…”

“…Data relevant to the present study were available from two original research articles (Pather et al, 2020 ; Abdelkader & Barbagallo, 2021 ). The study by Pather et al ( 2020 ) was based on descriptive qualitative accounts and data were collected from 10 universities (nine from Australia and one from New Zealand).…”

“…The study by Pather et al ( 2020 ) was based on descriptive qualitative accounts and data were collected from 10 universities (nine from Australia and one from New Zealand). Abdelkader and Barbagallo ( 2021 ) conducted a survey‐based study with data collected from three regional campuses of one university in Australia. Analysis of data from the two studies revealed that with the onset of the pandemic, anatomy education delivery was shifted to completely online mode.…”

“…Online resources used by the students reflects on their adaptability during the pandemic and constitute significant elements of education strategies. Asynchronous sessions were very popular in this respect and students commonly accessed those online videos related to anatomy education which were freely accessible across digital platforms along with other accessible digital resources (Abdelkader & Barbagallo, 2021 ) (Table 3 ).…”

Teaching and learning delivery modes in higher education: Looking back to move forward post-COVID-19 era

“…Despite the challenges faced by face-to-face teaching due to lockdowns and social distancing measures that limit the number of students in the classes ( Huh et al, 2022 ), it is worth noting that face-to-face teaching still has its advantages, such as promoting deeper comprehension of the subject matter, developing skills and competencies, and fostering a sense of community ( Abdelkader & Barbagallo, 2022 ; Blackford et al, 2022 ).…”