Innovation in Australian nursing student work integrated learning during a pandemic

Much has been written about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pre-registration nurse education. A fundamental component of nurse education is work integrated learning (WIL); a time for students to integrate theory and practice, in real world settings. From the onset of the pandemic, nursing faculty were required to create innovative WIL experiences to meet changing curriculum delivery and student, workforce and industry demands. Students also had to be prepared for a different WIL experience – one that would take place in a dynamic health landscape responding to a pandemic. What is not often reported in the literature, are the opportunities the pandemic created for education providers and their industry partners to challenge the status quo in student WIL. Some innovative WIL solutions one large metropolitan hospital and one regional University in Queensland, Australia offered nursing students, are outlined in this editorial.