Overview
When transitioning to online education, nursing programs must navigate a range of considerations to ensure successful implementation, evaluation, and sustainability. Key factors include understanding regulatory influences, identifying necessary infrastructure, and developing supportive policies.
Government and Accrediting Influences
Judith Eaton (2014) highlights that the Higher Education Act represents a convergence of government oversight, accreditation, and higher education institutions. The US Department of Education allocates approximately $30 billion annually to support higher education through student aid and institutional grants (Edwards & McCluskey, 2009).
Eaton (2014) critiques the effectiveness of accreditation in ensuring educational quality and warns that increased government control through the Higher Education Act could potentially undermine academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Conversely, some argue that loosening accreditation’s grip may encourage innovative teaching methods, including online education.
Institutional and Program Planning
Institutions must establish the required infrastructure for online education and consider its alignment with the institution’s mission. This includes assessing whether online education aims to serve the current student population or reach a broader, possibly global, audience. An environmental scan can help identify existing online offerings and gaps that the new course or program might fill.
A needs assessment among prospective students can provide insights into their interest levels, computer skills, and internet access, ensuring that the online offering meets their educational needs. Effective internal marketing strategies can also enhance adoption and support.
Faculty and Technology Considerations
Online education is still relatively new to many faculty, students, and administrators. Early adopters of technology must advocate for the benefits of online learning to more skeptical colleagues. Benchmark standards and quality indicators established by professional organizations and accrediting bodies can guide the development of high-quality online courses (Leners, Wilson, & Sitzman, 2007; Little, 2009).
Regulatory Compliance
At the federal level, the US Department of Education enforces state authorization policies linked to Title IV funding. Institutions must comply with regulations in each state where they operate. Conflicts between state education boards and nursing boards can complicate compliance, especially regarding faculty qualifications and licensure for clinical courses.
To address these challenges, nursing programs are encouraged to follow the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Interregional Guidelines for Distance Education, which are endorsed by regional accrediting organizations and the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (Lowery & Spector, 2014).
Terms and Conditions for Online Education
The NCSBN Distance Learning Education Committee outlines guidelines for distance prelicensure programs:
- Approval guidelines for distance programs should match those of the home state.
- The home state’s board of nursing must approve the prelicensure program, including its distance component.
- The home state program must supervise prelicensure students in host states.
- Faculty teaching clinical experiences must hold an active license in the state where the patient is located, while faculty teaching didactic content need a license in the program’s home state.
- Boards of nursing will report on clinical students in host states.
Adhering to these guidelines helps ensure that online nursing programs maintain quality and safety standards. Key quality indicators, such as those from the Online Learning Consortium and Quality Matters, emphasize institutional support, course design, faculty development, and student support (Online Learning Consortium, 2014; Hunter & Krantz, 2010; QM, 2014).
Accreditation and Quality Assurance
Accrediting agencies expect online courses to provide the same learning outcomes as traditional in-person classes. Students should receive comparable support and skill development, and faculty should be proficient in technology use. Institutions must adhere to accreditation policies, including verifying student identities and evaluating learner outcomes with the same rigor as face-to-face courses (ACEN, 2014; AACN, 2007; NLN CNEA, 2015).
Internal Approval Processes
Many institutions have internal processes for approving online courses or programs before they are offered. Faculty should be well-versed in the specific guidelines relevant to their state, institution, and program when planning online learning initiatives.
Future Challenges
A growing area of concern for accrediting agencies is the evaluation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as more institutions explore this mode of delivery (Eaton, 2012). As the landscape of online education evolves, ongoing assessment and adaptation will be crucial.