Student Perceptions of Fully Online Master’s in Veterinary Nursing

The Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing (APVN) programme is newly introduced, and globally is the first fully online Master’s in Veterinary Nursing. The authors investigated the student perceptions of the programme, how they have engaged with the online nature of the programme, and how this impacted their learning. Method: As the study is both evaluative and exploratory in nature a mixed methods approach was adopted. Questionnaires were used in order to evaluate how online learning and teaching is perceived by students. Results: Thematic analysis revealed that students felt that the advantages of online learning were flexibility in the pace of study, not being constrained to a geographical location, financial considerations and balancing family commitments with study. In contrast students also found the online environment isolating, struggled with self-motivation and identified finding sufficient time to complete course work as the main barrier to their learning. Students believed the programme would ultimately benefit their professional development and help facilitate a future change in career. The majority (75%) of students stated they would undertake postgraduate studies fully online again, and 100% said they would recommend online distance learning to other veterinary nurses. Students rated their overall experience of the programme at 7.3/10. Discussion: Results have revealed that teaching veterinary nursing at post graduate level fully online is effective and valued by the students. For a largely female profession, this method of delivery allows a flexible approach to study and the ability to balance work, study and family commitments