Flipped Classroom in Nursing Education: A Modern Approach to Learning

By 2031, the U.S. will need more than 275,000 additional nurses to meet demand (BLS, 2023). Yet, many nursing graduates enter the field feeling unprepared for the real-life pressure of clinical care. Traditional lectures and textbook reading just aren’t cutting it anymore for today’s learners. Their time is tight. Their attention spans are short. And they need more than theory to be ready for practice. Faculty know that, so most are moving toward a different approach.

The Rise of Flipped Learning in Nursing

Enter flipped classroom learning, which involves students preparing at home with videos, pre-recorded lectures, and online modules for an interactive and engaging learning experience in class through simulation, discussions, and hands-on activities that mirror real clinical practice. 

A meta-analysis in Nurse Education Today found flipped classrooms significantly improved nursing students’ critical thinking skills, clinical performance, and satisfaction compared to traditional lectures (Hew & Lo, 2018).

While simulation and active learning are not new to nursing education, the full adoption of the flipped classroom model represents a growing commitment to preparing students not just academically, but practically and emotionally for the demands of the profession. And this shift couldn’t come at a more critical time.

Why Flipped Learning is So Important Right Now

Nursing is facing a readiness crisis. Too many new nurses enter the workforce without the confidence or competence needed to manage the complexities of patient care. This is not a reflection of educators’ abilities, but rather a result of systemic challenges. A survey of nursing educators found over 70% cited limited faculty numbers and lack of time as top barriers to clinical instruction, prompting adoption of flipped and simulation-based teaching to maximize impact (NLN, 2023). The flipped classroom, however, offers a path forward: one that better prepares nursing students to think critically, act decisively, and deliver safe, effective care from day one.

What Flipped Learning Looks Like for Nursing Students

Here’s a breakdown of how flipped learning typically works in nursing education:

Before Class: Students dig into the core content on their own time. This might mean watching a video lecture explaining how a certain medication works, exploring an online module that simulates a patient assessment, or reading up on a specific disease. The idea is that they arrive in class with a foundational understanding of the day's topic.

In Class: This is where the magic happens. The classroom transforms into an active, engaging space where theory meets practice. Students might:

• Participate in high-fidelity simulations: They'll manage realistic patient scenarios, making critical decisions and performing nursing interventions as if it were a real hospital floor. This is where immersive virtual reality can come in.
• Hit the skills labs: Here, they'll practice and perfect essential nursing skills, like giving medications or starting an IV, often getting feedback from their peers and instructors.
• Engage in case-based discussions: They'll break down complex patient cases, debate treatment plans, and justify their clinical reasoning.

What does this look like in practice?

Example: Flipping Heart Failure Management with UbiSim

Imagine the week’s focus is on managing heart failure exacerbations, with an emphasis on pharmacology and clinical assessment. Students first complete pre-class assignments that cover the pathophysiology of heart failure, common medications, and signs and symptoms of worsening heart failure.

When students arrive, the goal is application. They shift from absorbing knowledge to acting on it—addressing the readiness crisis head-on.

Using UbiSim, an immersive virtual reality platform built by nurses, for nurses, students enter a simulation in a hyper-realistic hospital room where they care for a patient admitted with an acute exacerbation of heart failure. During the scenario, students must:

• Review the patient’s medical history, current medications, and vital signs, noting signs of fluid overload such as elevated blood pressure, shortness of breath, and edema
• Identify the appropriate medications to administer, such as IV diuretics, and understand their mechanisms and potential side effects
• Safely administer medications following proper protocols and monitor the patient’s response
• Perform clinical assessments, including lung auscultation, to determine the effectiveness of treatment
• Communicate with the patient to explain the plan of care and provide education about medication adherence and lifestyle modifications
• Accurately document medication administration and patient progress in the EHR

After the simulation, students and instructors come together for a debriefing session. They review what went well, discuss challenges faced during the scenario, and connect clinical actions to the underlying pharmacology and patient outcomes.

After this experience, when they encounter a heart failure exacerbation scenario, whether it be in clinical or when they’re a licensed nurse, they’ve had the realistic preparation and practiced each needed action and communication meticulously. Ideally, leading to more competent and confident nurses!

Empowering the Nurses of Tomorrow

In a profession where every second counts and every decision matters, flipped learning isn’t just a pedagogy—it’s a promise. A promise that today’s students won’t just make it through nursing school—they’ll walk onto the unit with the skills, mindset, and confidence to lead. In a time of growing shortages and complex care, we need nurses who are ready from day one. Flipped classrooms are one of the best ways to get them there.

References 

Hew, K. F., & Lo, C. K. (2018). Flipped classroom improves student learning in health professions education: a meta-analysis. Nurse Education Today, https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-018-1144-z.  

National League for Nursing (NLN). (2023). NLN Annual Survey of Schools of Nursing Academic Year 2022-2023: Executive Summary. Retrieved from https://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/research-statistics/2023-nln-annual-survey-results/2023-nln-annual-survey-of-schools-of-nursing-executive-summary.pdf

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses. (2023) https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm.