BRINGING LIFE TO ONLINE TEACHING
Bringing
to online
The Graduate School of Nursing is embracing innovation in online education to meet the learning needs of postgraduate nurse practitioners n today’s health care environment, advanced practice nurses are increasingly relied upon to provide comprehensive, high quality health care. As a result, nurse practitioners who need new skills to meet expanding patient needs are searching for online courses and degree programs to fit their busy schedules. In particular, nurses are scrambling to add behavioral health to their skills portfolios, in the face of a shortage of mental health care providers. A new postgraduate certificate program for psychiatric nurse practitioners at the Graduate School of Nursing is being taught almost entirely online, aiming to fill the gap with a convenient option for busy adult learners. “A lot of our discussion is about what they do in their clinical setting, bringing it to life online,” said Mechelle Plasse, PhD, assistant professor of nursing, who developed and teaches the pilot program. “Having postgraduate certificate programs online caters to the needs and experiences of working clinicians.” continues on page 24
22 | 2019
