Learning Objective #1: Discuss outcomes of professionalism and socialization to critical care practice six months after completing a comprehensive, online critical care course

Learning Objective #2: Describe the comparisons and contrasts of participants' outcomes in an online critical care course when a clinical practicum is part of the educational process

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By providing critical care students and nurses an opportunity to learn critical care knowledge and skills in an online environment using a clinical preceptor model, practitioners can develop the skills needed for real world experience and develop the professionalism attributes needed to be a critical care nurse. Three online courses (neonatal, pediatric, and adult) with a clinical practicum were developed to prepare students and RNs for beginning practice in this specialty. The purpose of this exploratory longitudinal study was to measure outcomes of professionalism and socialization to critical care nursing practice six months after completing a comprehensive, online critical care course. The study also sought to understand the impact of taking the course with a clinical practicum supervised by a preceptor. The Billings (2000) framework for assessing outcomes and practices in Web-based courses guided this exploratory study. Data were gathered using the Evaluating the Educational Uses of Web-based Courses in Nursing (EEUWIN) instrument; reliability and validity of the instrument in this study were acceptable and comparable to previous studies. The sample included 28 participants enrolled in 3 sections of each of the three critical care courses. Participants were students enrolled in academic programs or registered nurses seeking preparation for specialty practice. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings include the similarities and contrasts between participants who took the course along with a clinical practicum or the didactic course only. After completing the course, many participants were employed by the agency in which the clinical practicum was held. Overall, socialization and professionalism can be achieved through online courses. With the current nursing and nurse educator shortage, more innovative, effective instructional models need to be developed and tested to provide educational options to prepare nurses for clinical practice.