Graduate school for nurses ed advice

[peaceful nurse, RN]

I need advice and some suggestions on alternative ideas to the traditional nursing practicum. I attend an online school and live in a rural area, not many people have a masters degree in nursing let alone nursing education. Working full time makes it difficult to get to the closest site where the online school is associated with already an hour and half away. I was told of it could come up with a alternative.. it would be brought to the directors attention. I feel I should at least try. I have two classes left... I hate letting them sit. I am currently the health advocate for head start.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

There's just no substitute for practicum but I do understand your dilemma. Could you arrange vacation time for the practicum? I am assuming that the practicum has a set of standard goals (mine all did). Rather than trying to completely redesign it, you could develop a hybrid design whereby you accomplish the self-directed activities remotely, and focus your on-site time on those that need to involve your preceptor. For instance, if you are required to design & deliver lessons - the research & materials development would be self-directed & the only the presentation would need to be onsite.

I did something very similar for my MSN (a hundred years ago - LOL) before "distance" education was an actual thing. I even ended up having to video tape some things in order to meet the criteria for "observed" performance. If you can some up with something creative and innovative, your program will probably welcome it..... after all, they'd take credit for designing an "innovative" approach & write an article to inform everyone of their brilliance