The week of June 7 to 11, 2021, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) welcomed its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and FNP Certificate students to campus. For the first time in 18 months, nursing students were attending class in-person.
Both faculty and students expressed positive feelings about returning to in-person class. “The students seemed to really enjoy the onsite week and seemed very engaged in the learning materials,” said Megan Kimberly, DNP, CNM, FNP, and Co-Director of Clinical Education.
She added that “the faculty also thoroughly enjoyed meeting the students on a more personal level during the onsite week.”
Kevin Ballard, DNP, FNP, and the Program Director for the DNP/FNP and FNPC programs, noticed people’s excitement to be back on campus. “Both students and faculty were very happy to be onsite and to work together to develop skills and perform procedures,” said Ballard.
By coming to campus, students create stronger relationships with their fellow classmates and teachers. “Onsite visits allow faculty to interact with students in person and develop a relationship which they can draw on when selecting faculty chairs for scholarly projects,” said Ballard. “It also allows students to develop lifelong friendships and personally know each other and provide support to one another.”
Ballard added, “The personal touch develops to a greater extent when meeting in person. That is why the hybrid model is a big draw for students to RMUoHP.”
With bringing students to campus, RMUoHP is making sure to create a safe and healthy environment for those attending in-person classes. The University is keeping a close watch on pandemic trends, expert recommendations, CDC guidelines, Utah Health Department reports, and RMUoHP-specific COVID reporting to ensure in-person policies and safety measures up-to-date.
