While the acute hospital care market in the U.S. has grown to be worth more than US$1.35 trillion, with a projected expansion of 6.70% between 2025 to 2034, the general labour and resource shortage struggles have continued to take a toll on the effectiveness and efficiency of care provision, hospitals’ operations, and our healthcare systems more broadly. Many acute or critical care nurse practitioners feel unprepared and experience immense pressure in their field, especially in matters relating to patient mental health during care. The question of upskilling becomes a crucial starting point here, and the rise in online/virtual learning environments has opened new major pathways for practitioners to increase training as a way to meet challenges.
Of course, online learning, like the Rockhurst University online MSN-AGACNP program, equips nurses with the skills to lead in fast-paced, acute, and critical care environments. But let’s have a deeper dive into just how you, who maybe are already part of the nurse-force or perhaps aspiring to be, can leverage these channels to refine your practice and better patient care outcomes.
What We Mean by the Virtual Learning Environment
Virtual learning environments (VLEs), or more colloquially known as online learning environments, refer to spaces where learners and educators conduct online courses. They have been all the rage in the last couple of years, spreading across all disciplines. Of course, when we say VLEs, we commonly think of higher-education courses such as advanced degrees, diplomas, or certifications, but they can also include any training, learning, or e-resources that reach employees and professionals working under a distant or remote format.
Under a VLE framework, educators usually deliver course materials through recorded presentations, lectures, or live virtual classes that take place on video meeting platforms. VLEs are generally cloud-based, which means students can access and engage with their course no matter where they are and whatever device they are on whether that be computer or a mobile device. This unique feature of VLEs can be especially important for practicing nurses who have intense clinical schedules and external responsibilities.
VLEs in Acute Care Nursing
Advanced degrees are the most viable mode of study for not just acute care nurses, but any healthcare worker, to equip themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge to propel greater professional and clinical development as well as training.
But what is meant by advanced degrees, and what relationship do they have with VLEs? Essentially, an advanced degree refers to any degree higher than an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree, which can include a Doctorate, a Master’s, and so on. Amidst the proliferation of online courses, many of these advanced degrees have made a footing in the VLE space, which is specifically designed for professionals like practicing nurses to leverage and use as an opportunity for career advancement and further specializations.
This can be particularly important if you are not just looking to upskill, but also take leadership in acute or intensive care units, which is much needed with the current state of the field. These roles are crucial in pushing adequate transformations in the healthcare system for the better, and having acute care nurses with advanced practice experience can not only improve access to care but also provide more efficient and intensive training to the next generation of nurses, ensuring that they are not as pressured and unprepared as they are today.
Of course, the choice to pursue a VLE-based advanced degree is dependent on your aspirations as an acute care nurse, along with your current financial needs. However, it is important to consider some of the key benefits of acute care nursing-focused VLE advanced degrees in terms of opening up more prospects for career advancement in intensive care, while balancing with your current professional commitments.
From VLE Advanced Degrees to Leadership: Why are they Suitable for Acute Care Nurses?
Flexibility
The schedules and responsibilities of acute care nurses are intense, and traditional in-person or classroom-based learning environments rarely adequately accommodate them. VLEs offer ways to help nurses access course material and learning content at their own pace (also called asynchronous learning), enabling them to learn whenever it suits, whether that be early morning or late at night. Moreover, with this flexibility, you can also take the opportunity to incorporate course material into direct acute care practice as a way to refine practice in acute care environments, also known as a self-directed form of workplace learning.
Enhanced Technical Knowledge and Upskilling
All nurses are increasingly utilising digital health initiatives to better patient care and increase health outcomes. The technical and theoretical knowledge offered by advanced degrees guarantees professionals confidence in not only being prepared to understand these healthcare trends, but also an ability to tackle any challenges and obvious improvements that come from these advancements.
Online advanced degrees often incorporate various learning systems in their VLEs, such as learning management systems, virtual simulations, and communication tools, which are also seen in healthcare settings. For professionals to have greater familiarity with them, it can further develop technological literacy and competency, while enabling institutional-wide practices that use the digital landscape to shape patient-centred care and even the healthcare environment – these are all essential skills for field leadership in 21st-century nursing.
Being Up-to-Date
With a field as constantly evolving as healthcare, advanced VLE degrees naturally ensure professionals are always interacting with the latest research, treatments, and technological advancements emerging every single day. Having a constant reflection of these advancements in healthcare practice ensures both leadership bodies and nurses are maintaining high standards of care, regardless of where one is working. The fundamentally online nature of an advanced VLE nursing degree also allows you to have constant access to a plethora of resources, databases, and libraries right at the palm of your hand at any time, from anywhere.