An academic-health department partnership to expand adolescent access to care and FNP student clinical experiences

Abstract

More than 90,000 qualified applicants were rejected from nursing schools in 2021 due in part to the national shortage of nurse practitioner (NP) preceptors and clinical placements. One model that has the potential to address this shortage by enhancing and expanding NP clinical training sites is the academic-practice partnership. In this article, the authors describe the development of a novel academic-practice partnership between a college of nursing and a health department and report the outcomes of a partnership activity that provided wellness visits for adolescents. Through this partnership, the graduate nursing program increased adolescent-focused clinical experiences for family nurse practitioner students by 87.6 h; added one adolescent clinical site for nine NP students; and delivered a total of 34 school and sports physicals, 81 immunizations, and 65 screening tests for adolescent-aged clients. Through this feasible, mutually beneficial, and innovative academic-practice partnership, the graduate nursing program and health department successfully expanded clinical placement experiences for NP students and improved access to wellness care for adolescents. The partnership model can be utilized to not only expand clinical opportunities for NP students but also improve access to care and health outcomes for our local communities.