Clinical experiences at veterans administration primary care clinics: An interprofessional education project for advanced practice nurses and health professions students

Abstract

There is limited literature that specifically addresses how academic institutions and healthcare facilities effectively establish and manage clinical experiences for students. Since advanced practice nursing education (APRN) programs strive to provide appropriate clinical experiences as part of their students’ educational training, it is imperative that academic institutions and clinical facilities establish working relationships and protocols for productive collaboration. Barriers may exist in arranging student clinical placements, including scheduling conflicts and provider workload burden. Collaborative approaches for placing APRN students in primary care settings can be beneficial for student learning and the clinical care of patients. The purpose of this paper is to provide an initial roadmap for coordinating APRN and other health professional students’ placement in clinical rotations at a Veterans Health Administration Medical Center (VAMC) primary care clinic in the Midwest.