Graduate Student Perceptions of Nursing Faculty Immediacy: Caring Actions for Accelerated Online Courses

This mixed method study utilized the Online Faculty Caring, Presence, and Immediacy Behaviors Survey and explored 142 graduate nursing students' perceptions of faculty immediacy in accelerated online courses. Students ranked online faculty immediacy characteristics and determined level of agreement with faculty actions. The quantitative findings were compared to determine differences between students who perceived that online faculty utilized immediacy behaviors versus students who perceived that faculty did not use immediacy behaviors. Five themes emerged from the qualitative results that reflect faculty presence, communication, support, and feedback, which emerged from the open-ended survey questions and support the quantitative results. The study findings informed the creation of specific strategies for online faculty who teach accelerated courses.