| The purpose of this research study was to understand perceptions of faculty members regarding their experiences of teaching nursing courses in undergraduate baccalaureate and graduate programs, using asynchronous, web-based courses. The goal of this researcher was to explore faculty perceptions of online teaching and work to clarify workload and policy issues, barriers to quality online teaching and learning, and faculty needs for professional development and support.;A qualitative descriptive design method was used to explore nursing faculty perceptions of teaching online. Data were obtained through an initial demographic survey and through interviews with a subset of 10 faculty participants.;The findings from this study reveal that nursing faculty members perceive (a) that relationships are key to learning and that these relationships can be complex and difficult to establish in the online learning environment, (b) that support comes in a variety of forms and is needed to make learning work well in the online environment, (c) that constraints and concerns interfere with their ability to engage students and provide the best online learning opportunities for their students, and (d) that there are opportunities to improve online teaching and learning.;The findings from this study deepen our understanding of online teaching and learning in the discipline of nursing. Implications for nursing education include preparing nurse educators for the work of teaching in online environments, creating environments that foster teaching and learning, and enriching both faculty member and student experiences in online teaching and learning. |
