Did remote learning help or hinder adult nursing students during the pandemic?
By Student Voice Analytics
remote learningadult nursingYes and no: for adult nursing students, remote delivery offered flexibility and access but exposed weaknesses in placements, organisation and assessment clarity. In the National Student Survey (NSS) open‑text corpus for remote learning across 2018–2025, 12,933 comments show a net‑negative tone with 42.0% positive; within adult nursing, placements dominate at 20.6% of comments, while remote learning carries a −14.5 sentiment index offset by strong people‑centred support such as Personal Tutor at +40.9. These sector patterns shape the themes in nursing students’ accounts during the pandemic.
By exploring the hurdles they encountered as well as the advantages they valued, this post provides insights to higher education staff on ways to enhance remote educational practices in nursing training. The feedback from nursing students, gathered through student surveys and text analysis, reflects diverse experiences and preferences. Understanding their voice helps shape future educational strategies that address both the benefits and challenges of remote learning, and recognises the rapid adjustments staff and institutions introduced to sustain continuity from classroom to digital platforms.
What worked well in remote learning for adult nursing students?
Despite various challenges, students praised aspects of remote learning. They valued the flexibility of learning schedules that accommodated personal circumstances and the convenience of studying from home, which for some reduced travel and childcare burdens. Many appreciated recorded lectures they could review at their own pace, which supports those balancing studies with caregiving or work commitments. This mode also enabled better time management and encouraged autonomous study habits essential for nursing practice. Digital tools and platforms, initially a hurdle, became valuable resources for accessible materials and interactive sessions. Staff prioritised support and connection, using consistent platforms and predictable rhythms so students could focus on learning.
What do students recommend to enhance remote learning?
Students recommend a hybrid model: combine face‑to‑face sessions for practical skills with online lectures for flexibility. They also ask providers to tighten the operational rhythm with a single source of truth for changes, a weekly “what changed and why” update, and a consistent joining route and platform per module. Providers should make remote‑first materials standard (captioned recordings, transcripts, alt‑text, low‑bandwidth versions) and keep asynchronous parity by offering timely searchable recordings and concise summaries of key takeaways. A short “getting set online” orientation for new cohorts smooths the digital start, and interactive elements (live polls, Q&A) improve engagement. Flexible timetabling particularly benefits adult students managing multiple commitments.
How does remote delivery affect practical skills development?
Limits on hands‑on experience troubled many students. Nursing education relies on practice in hospital settings and simulation labs, yet opportunities reduced during remote delivery. Providers responded by piloting VR simulations and online interactive labs to mimic real‑life scenarios, alongside detailed tutorials, video demonstrations and remote supervision by experienced practitioners. These methods do not replace physical practice, but they provide substantive alternatives that support skill acquisition when access to clinical spaces is constrained.
How did students adapt and build resilience?
Students demonstrated adaptability by establishing dedicated study spaces, following structured schedules and forming online study groups. These habits helped sustain motivation and progress and built resilience valuable for professional practice. Staff encouragement and timely, responsive feedback supported this transition; accessible resources, consistent communication and clear expectations reduced friction and maintained momentum.
What role do instructors play in effective remote learning?
Instructors need both technological fluency and pedagogic skill. Regular communication, explicit learning outcomes and structured guidance help students navigate content and expectations. Text analysis of feedback and assignments enables staff to diagnose understanding and tailor teaching methods. Because online modes require more self‑direction, instructors provide exemplars, practical problem‑solving activities and feed‑forward advice so students can see what “good” looks like and how to achieve it, while sustaining academic standards.
What are the implications for future delivery?
Hybrid delivery becomes a pragmatic baseline: preserve the access benefits of online materials while prioritising in‑person activities for skills development. Given that placements attract the highest share of attention and scrutiny among adult nursing students, providers should treat placements as a designed service with predictable rotas, clear travel/time expectations and on‑site feedback moments. Assessment clarity also remains a priority: annotated exemplars, checklist‑style rubrics, realistic turnaround times and calibrated marking improve perceptions of fairness and usefulness. Monitoring weekly friction points (access, audio, link churn, timetable slips) and closing the loop with brief updates helps sustain trust.
How Student Voice Analytics helps you
Student Voice Analytics turns open‑text feedback into prioritised actions. It tracks topic volume and sentiment over time, with drill‑downs from provider to programme and cohort, so teams can focus on high‑impact issues such as placements, scheduling, organisation, communications and feedback. You can slice results by mode, age, domicile/ethnicity, disability and CAH groups for like‑for‑like comparisons, and benchmark adult nursing against the wider subject mix. Export‑ready summaries and representative comments make it straightforward to brief programme teams and placement partners, target interventions where they will shift sentiment most, and evidence “what we fixed” in continuous improvement cycles.
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