The Transition to Distance Learning in the Era of Covid-19 Pandemic: The Perceptions and Experiences of Nursing Students.

During the first months of COVID-19 pandemic, authorities of many countries imposed to educational institutions of all educational levels, the online delivery of their courses to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. We investigated the perceptions and first experiences of Nursing students that attended the synchronous distance learning undergraduate course of Health Informatics. Respondents' perceptions and experiences were positive regarding the design and material of the course and the discussions with their peers while the technical support was negatively rated. Students could not decide if distance learning is more difficult than traditional or whether distance learning is more time consuming than traditional learning. Nursing students prefer traditional learning as they stated that they learn more and feel more comfortable to participate in personal discussions. Distance learning can be ameliorated by careful design, more interaction initiatives, creative methods to enhance learning and availability of timely technical support. Future research should be conducted in a larger sample.