Preparing NPs for Primary Care: Unraveling Complexity with Unfolding Cases

Abstract

Patients with comorbid mental and physical illnesses often present in the primary care setting. To explore the complexities of caring for these patients, a Behavioral Health Therapeutics course was developed and taught in the first semester of a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. This article describes the research, theories, and curricular innovations used in the online learning environment, which provide the foundation for the course and reflect the essential changes called for in the 2010 Carnegie report. Highlighted in this article is the unfolding case study method using Backward Design by Wiggins and McTighe in the planning phase, Zull's model for engaging the brain in the Implementation phase, and grading criteria created from Tanner's "Case for Cases: A Pedagogy for Developing Habits of Thought" in the evaluation phase.