When the order came in the spring of 2020 for Kent State University to go remote, faculty and students in Kent State University at Ashtabula’s nursing program were concerned. How would they stay connected in a remote environment? How would the students stay engaged?
Enter “The Net,” a virtual community for nursing students, faculty and nursing support staff at Kent State Ashtabula.
“‘The Net’ was developed to help promote connections, collaboration, engagement, and support within the new remote environment,” said Stacy Rose, an associate professor in the Nursing Technology Department at Kent State Ashtabula. “Ultimately, we hope that it will help with student retention and success in the nursing program.”
Those interested in the program can access it through Blackboard. A series of live and recorded workshops and presentations are offered by faculty, Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society members and other guest presenters.
Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society members are heavily involved in moderating this program. Students who are members of Alpha Delta Nu are required to complete a project regarding either service or education within the nursing community and this program serves as an outlet where these members can execute and disseminate their projects to the students.
All students are placed in smaller teams with students from each grade level, one student moderator, an Alpha Delta Nu member, and one or two lead faculty. Participants may utilize these teams for small group discussion, support and a place for Q&A through using a discussion board.
“It is a supportive environment, and it is a place where they can meet other students and faculty at all levels of the program,” said Amy Sustar, lecturer for the Nursing Technology Department at Kent State Ashtabula. “It's a place where they can go and ask questions and get support or support their fellow students when coming into the program.”
Workshops and presentations mainly focus on test-taking skills, study techniques, test anxiety management, stress management, time management and more. Through these workshops and presentations, “the Net’s” primary goal is to achieve SUCCESS, an acronym meaning: students utilizing connections, collaboration, engagement and support for success.
“Nursing school is hard, having connections and support from others makes success seem more obtainable,” said Rose. “Through this platform, we aim to provide those two things plus collaboration and engagement for our students.”
Students are notified of the workshops and presentations through a Blackboard announcement, and any student enrolled in Kent State Ashtabula’s nursing program has access to this site.
For more information about the Kent State Ashtabula nursing program, visit www.kent.edu/ashtabula/nursing.