Introduction to Summer Intensives
The online graduate nursing program at Boise State offers a singular learning experience through its summer intensives. These sessions provide students with in-person lectures, simulations, and hands-on skills training, making every year a definite opportunity for growth. This 12 months is especially special because it marks the primary summer intensive session for college students within the Bachelor of Science to Doctor of Nursing Practice (BS-DNP) program.
The BS-DNP Program
The BS-DNP program is designed to organize students with doctoral degrees to turn into family nurse practitioners (FNP) or adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioners. While some sessions apply to each tracks, similar to suturing and conflict management, others differ based on specialty. For example, students within the acute care track study hemodynamics, while FNP students study rheumatology.
New Technology and Active Learning
This 12 months’s summer intensives introduced latest technology and exciting opportunities for energetic learning. The school received two virtual reality (VR) headsets and academic software through a grant from Bodyswaps, an organization that designs immersive education using VR and artificial intelligence.
Virtual Reality and Bodyswaps
The VR headsets allow users to immerse themselves in patient-provider scenarios, specializing in constructing soft skills like communication and de-escalation. The Bodyswaps software enables students to interact with a virtual human, then switch places and rewatch their conversation, promoting self-reflection and perspective-taking. The grant also provided full access to the software, allowing larger groups to learn via their very own computers or phones.
Seeing with Ultrasound
The school also acquired its own portable, handheld ultrasound device, enabling nurse practitioner students to achieve real-time, point-of-care ultrasound experience in various clinical settings. This technology helps students visualize and understand live anatomy and physiological function, bridging the gap between theory and clinical practice.
Simulations Show Students a New Reality
Simulation education is an integral a part of the graduate nursing program, with each cohort participating in at the very least one simulation during intensives. This 12 months, a brand new scenario was introduced, specializing in giving bad news to patients and their families. The simulation allows students to practice this difficult conversation in a protected environment, working through language and empathy to raised support patients in the longer term.
Conclusion
The summer intensives at Boise State’s online graduate nursing program offer a singular and fascinating learning experience for college students. With the introduction of recent technology, similar to VR headsets and ultrasound devices, and the incorporation of simulations, students are well-equipped to develop the abilities and empathy needed to succeed as nurse practitioners. The positive feedback from students is a testament to this system’s success, and the college’s commitment to energetic learning and student engagement. As this system continues to evolve, it is evident that the summer intensives will remain a cornerstone of the web graduate nursing program at Boise State.
