The Theory-Practice Gap in Nursing Education During the Pandemic Period from the Perspective of Stakeholders: A Qualitative Study

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of theoretical and practical nursing education carried out by distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic and the theory-practice gap in nursing education in Turkey. Methods: This qualitative study used a descriptive qualitative study. This research was conducted with nursing lecturers and students from two universities in two different geographical regions. Lecturers and undergraduate students participated in the research. The data for the research were collected using the online Zoom program during four focus-group discussions. Results: Three main themes emerged for the categories of theoretical and practical education emerged during the study: strong structural conditions (technological integration and accessibility) both strong and weak structural conditions (asynchronous participation and changing comfort levels/routines) and weak structural conditions (cold contact and inequality of opportunity). Conclusion: This study revealed the strengths and weaknesses in the experience of distance nursing education and will guide future planning of nursing education programs and clinical fields.