The transition to Web-based education: enhancing access to graduate education for women's health providers.
Nurse-midwives and women's health nurse practitioners have a long history as positive change agents in health care as well as education. This article chronicles the transition of a traditional face-to-face nurse-midwife and women's health nurse practitioner graduate curriculum to a Web-based format with campus seminars and clinical laboratories. This change was made to increase access to these graduate programs. A total of 20 courses, including both graduate core and specialty courses, was converted to the Web-based format over a 3-year period. Practical considerations for implementing a similar program, including faculty development and support, student orientation and ongoing support, development of a learning community, and time management, are discussed. The importance of listening to student feedback and partnering with them as the program continues to develop is emphasized as a key element of program evaluation and improvement.
Avery
Melissa D
MD
Nurse-Midwifery Program, University of Minnesota, School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Ringdahl
Debbie
D
Juve
Catherine
C
Plumbo
Peg
P
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D003479:Curriculum; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000379:methods*; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000639:trends*; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education*; D008910:Minnesota; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000193:education*; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011247:Pregnancy; D016730:Program Development; D012579:Schools, Nursing; D013685:Telecommunications; D016387:Women's Health