AACN Task Force Focus Groups on Academic-Practice Partnership with members of ASTDN
(Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing)
May 3, 2011
Facilitator: Susan Swider, PhD, APHN-BC
Recorder: Pamela Levin, PhD, APHN-BC
Participants: state and local Health Departments; Directors of Nursing and supervisory staff
States: CA, OH, GA, CT, MA, Del (N=6)
All have had some experience with partnerships with local schools
Characteristics that facilitate current A-P partnerships
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MOU with each nursing program in state & some surrounding states; establishing MOU right
away
Identify nurse consultant or particular nurse in county that works on arrangements (still issue
need to work out)
Desire between Health Department and school to get something off ground
Communicating clearly to Health Department what they would need to provide to support
students, tried to minimize effect on daily operations; aim to be a win for both parties
Have established relationships at state and regional levels,
Longstanding relationships: work together on common issues, position statement around
immunizations for pre licensure student, why students need that type training, education for
non BSN w/out pop assessment course, arrange for new employees to take that same course at
Univ [at Health Dept. level, arrange to pay for that course, work out waiver process] practice
and education chairs – designated people (volunteer 2 years, 1 seasoned, 1 new]
Dedication of staff, desire to do as much as possible
Having champions in place for students. Educating academia as what is available for students
(program, opportunities) at state, local level. Building relationships important to work through
issues
State board of nursing requires certificate and 90 clinical hours in PHN in order practice in PHN.
Some PHN supervisors arranged furlough time and were hired by Univ as ‘instructors’.
Instructors are onsite, certified, trained and there to work w students.
Contracts/formal agreements with university
Community advisory board – meet with ADN, BSN programs to discuss issues about student
nurses, issues within practice setting… try to resolve.. like how to deal with EHR
Helpful to have course objectives right up front to see if they can be met in setting
Assigning someone to serve as a liaison….
Having a nursing faculty on site…. If on site, then can make a home visit with student, helps with
site workload
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Recognition for preceptor…. It encourages the nurse to take a student from that school again
Barriers in current A-P partnerships
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Student schedules: Matching a project to students academic year schedule… graduate or RNBSN students working and want to do weekend hours, but not feasible
Lack of Standard curriculum…. Set of student activities, What I can keep them busy with in my
location
Schools contacting individually at local level (Home Rule issue)– takes a lot of time/energy when
no liaison type person available
Regional level – academic & practice is not reciprocal; the MOU, practice is not getting as much
back as giving…. We ask that Schools of nursing provide some CE, some staff training…
Lack of Communication from educational system (because of home rule at times) getting
requests from online programs … have to create multiple MOU… would be helpful if sent
students in cohorts
Faculty teaching content with no background, no knowledge in Public Health… don’t get it
“I have to spend a day in a Health Department” requests from individual students. Sites don’t
have the time to do this; lots of calls; Have to get something back when working with students…
I can’t show anything for use of time in our current business model
Cost… critical need in getting something back. Asking university for reimbursement for time
spent…. For liaison who interacts with students – on regional level, it is a fulltime job – and at
expensive pay level. Payment to help sustain… have had one county being successful at getting
reimbursement from university… Health Departments are developing their business model and
need to see some return on investment
School needs to plan what the student is to do… more direction from school….
But then many faculty don’t have Public Health background, don’t know what to plan for.;
‘dumbing down of graduate program in community/phn’ nursing exists; Faculty don’t know the
content; An example given of an MSN project that was really at the BSN level, not at the
master’s level.
Schools don’t understand local government, understand parameters at local level government
that may affect what can do as PHN
Alternative, web based programs… do not provide instructor on site…. RN-BSN programs do this
Ways to overcome barriers
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Using local/state association to help with student placement
Joint meetings annually with academic deans, Health Department leaders
Something back from spending time w student
Reciprocity agreement in the MOU… may take a while to get it signed,
Have faculty on site!!! When on site, can go out in pairs, with something more than observation
experiences
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Faculty with knowledge and skills at BSN & MSN level in PH… so can collaborate with PHN unit
to work on project independently
Dream/Ideal Partnerships
Characteristics
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Staff nurses /preceptors need access to what the students get exposed to; the up to date info,
on a variety of topics.
Get staff Link to a library system !!!!!!!!!!!!!; access to the (expensive) databases
Access to grant writers
Summits – with academia and practice in attendance to strategize
Work with them on the curriculum, to identify what is needed and …. Input into curriculum
Having conversations about real world and how gets applied to students work… ongoing, as PHN
world has changed
Has to get something out of it…. Graduate students have to try to do something… not just
observational
Standardized, free preceptor training (have access through MI, but can’t pay for everyone, $25).
Something available for all field preceptors… additional bonus pay so can reward those who take
on the extra burden. hospitals get bonuses
Staff development… faculty with some type of joint practice, work with on research.. don’t know
how to read research, need access to researchers, as how to read, access to research… need to
help get published… need to get our name out there….. we need to let public see us making a
differences in outcomes… faculty in practice will keep them up to date and help Health
Department with research
Match up grad students to carry out project… match up grad student with PHN to do research
For decentralized states, have been trying to get advisory board with local Schools of Nursing
Boards of nursing requiring certification for PHN… make BSN requirement to practice in PH
Joint practice – what Jeanne Mathews had done in Virginia.
Minimally adequate = MOU has to have instructor on site
Appreciate our limitations; may not need an instructor on site, but can only take a few students
Appreciation – show it – appreciate our strengths
State PHN association, needs to more involved in this
Making sure understanding partnership is two way
Having ongoing discussions like at ACHNE/ASTDN – great joint meeting time