Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Academic-Practice Partnerships

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected academic-practice partnerships in multiple ways. This article examines how the pandemic affected partnerships at one college of nursing. Method: A survey on the effects of COVID-19 on academic-practice partnerships was sent to all faculty ( n = 228). Data were analyzed using a mixed-method approach. Results: Of 69 surveys that were completed, 38 faculty reported 52 unique partnerships during the 2019–2020 academic year. Of the 52 partnerships, 63% ( n = 33) had changed and 12% ( n = 6) were newly established partnerships in response to COVID-19. Common changes included temporary suspension of activities ( n = 13) and a change ( n = 9) or decrease ( n = 7) in activities. Major themes included clinical disruptions and transitioning to telehealth and online services. Conclusion: COVID-19 created challenges for academic-practice partnerships but also generated opportunities for nursing education to contribute to the pandemic response and meet evolving population and organizational needs. [ J Nurs Educ . 2022;61(9):533–536.]

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Disease · Environmental health · Health care · Higher education · Infectious disease (medical specialty) · Medical education · Pandemic · Political science · Population · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) · Telehealth · Telemedicine · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Disaster Management and Resilience · Disaster Response and Management · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Virology