Pandemic response: The identification of alternative clinical hours to ensure advanced practice nursing students meet program requirements.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in the abrupt withdrawal of clinical sites for advanced practice nursing students which worsened an already challenging placement process. Few studies to date have analyzed the use of alternative clinical practice experiences used to facilitate the completion of program requirements by advanced practice nursing students beyond direct hour requirements. The faculty team from one university decided to track and analyze their use of alternative clinical practice experiences for advanced practice nursing students actively enrolled during the first semester of the pandemic.

Innovative Opportunities for Nurse Practitioner Education Uncovered by the Pandemic.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic resulted in the abrupt withdrawal of clinical sites for nurse practitioner (NP) students during the Spring semester of 2020. This situation necessitated the identification of innovative clinical opportunities to ensure advanced practice nursing students met course objectives and program requirements.

Method: This article describes innovative clinical opportunities that met the needs of the community, including those impacted by the pandemic, and enabled NP students' progression toward completing clinical requirements.

Features and usability assessment of a patient-centered mobile application (HeartMapp) for self-management of heart failure.

Background: Mobile health technologies have emerged as a way to actively engage patients in their healthcare decision-making process. One who is well informed and motivated is thought to engage in self-management activities. Thus, the conceptual framework included "information, motivation, and behavioral change" model, with patient engagement as a mediator in the development and assessment of a mobile health application "HeartMapp" for chronic heart failure (CHF) self-management.