Nursing Students' and Faculty Perspectives: Challenges and Insights into Digital Classes during the Pandemic

Introduction The pedagogical transition from traditional to distance learning is a challenge for nursing education during the pandemic in India, since the faculty and students were not exposed to the virtual classes Methods A qualitative research examined faculty and students perspectives of the challenges and insights into digital classes in the during the pandemic. Convenient sampling was employed to gather qualitative data from the diploma, undergraduate, or postgraduate programs students who had experienced digital classes during the pandemic. Six focus group interviews were done with the total of 32 nursing students, and 14 faculty. After obtaining consent each session lasting between 1.5 to 2 hours. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke's (2012) six-phase analytical process. Results The major themes created through students' perspectives were 1)Closing the Educational Divide: Bridging the Gap with E-Technology, 2.Exposed to Different Approaches of teaching -learning, 3. Challenges & Technological Glitches in the digital Classroom, 4.Expression of Dissatisfaction, 5.Struggling with Self-Motivation and 6.Environmental influences. The major themes created through faculty perspectives were 1.Escalating Workload: Navigating Increased Demands, 2.Enhanced Technology Proficiency: Gaining Improved Access, 3.Discipline Concerns, 4.Improved methods of teaching, 5.Lack of Clinical learning and 6.Need for Special Platform. Along with the major themes sub-themes were also reported. Conclusion This study concluded that digital classes were very convenient and beneficial during pandemic. Both the group of respondents stressed the challenges which need to be focused to fill the gap in future. Keywords- Digital classes, Pandemic, Nursing students, Nursing faculty, Challenges, Insights