"Finding My Own Way": The lived experience of undergraduate nursing students learning psychomotor skills during COVID-19

Background: Little is known about how nursing students learned psychomotor skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: What is the lived experience of undergraduate nursing students learning psychomotor skills during the COVID-19 pandemic? Methods: Using a phenomenological approach, eight undergraduate nursing students were interviewed about their experiences learning psychomotor skills during the pandemic. Results: Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. "Finding My Own Way" described adapting learning styles and advocacy for learning. Sub-themes included perseverance and comradery. "Learning the Skills" described modifications to skills learning. Sub-themes included grace by professors, smaller group sizes, less practice, and "my brain is split in half," describing the challenges of giving dual attention to COVID-19 and skills learning. "Stress of the Pandemic" described the stress of quarantine, isolation and online learning. Discussion: Findings of this study may help nurse educators understand the challenges of learning skills during the pandemic. Implications are discussed. (C) 2021 Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.