Academic caring pedagogy, presence, and Communitas in nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic

Highlights • Strong faculty academic human caring presence is paramount during the exponential use of asynchronous, remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Caring pedagogy, presence, and Communitas support the holistic learning and teaching needs of nursing higher education in times of global crisis. • A theory-guided, holistic caring pedagogical approach is offered to augment remote learning pedagogy and to further humanize remote learning. • Suggested caring and narrative pedagogical approaches aim to support student success during such times of immense stress and crisis. • Creation of Caring Spaces and other modalities to transcend physical distancing of faculty and students are offered to humanize remote or online teaching and learning and to nurture togetherness, or Communitas, within the virtual classroom.
Background Strong faculty academic human caring presence is paramount during the exponential use of asynchronous, remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose The purpose of this article is to provide a holistic, theoretical foundation for evidence informed-caring pedagogical practices. Methods Watson's (2008; 2018) Unitary Caring Science theoretical approach offers one pedagogical caring framework for advancing teaching-learning in the digital age. Discussion Examples to humanize the virtual classroom and remote or online teaching include narrative, theory-guided pedagogical approaches, such as creation of caring spaces and other modalities to transcend physical distancing and nurture Communitas (caring community) among of faculty and students. Conclusion A theory-guided, holistic caring pedagogical approach supports the needs of both faculty and nursing students.