Alternative capstone nursing experience to scale up testing and case investigation.

BACKGROUND: Surges related to the SARS-COV2 virus in the United States have underscored the critical importance of large-scale testing, case investigation and contact tracing. Baccalaureate nursing students have the potential to serve as surge capacity workforce in mitigation measures during this public health emergency. METHODS: Over the course of eight weeks (September-December 2020) baccalaureate senior capstone nursing students served as case investigators for a local health department (LHD) on Long Island, New York and surveillance pooled saliva testers for their college to ensure compliance with a state-wide COVID-19 testing mandate. To determine student perceptions working in these concurrent novel academic-partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic, a descriptive survey of open-ended interview questions was completed by student participants (n = 10). RESULTS: Analysis of aggregate responses revealed common themes across the data set linking student learning and appreciation of the "eye-opening" experience to a sense of purpose, the value of communication, education and teamwork-all within the structure of public health nursing. CONCLUSIONS: Baccalaureate nursing students can effectively serve as an untapped workforce within an academic partnership to support surveillance testing and case investigation during the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health crises. This partnership had the added benefit of exposing nursing students to the critical nature of public health nursing during this historic time in our nation.