Education of nurse practitioners in academic nurse-managed centers: student perspectives

Clinical experiences for advanced practice nurses are increasingly a challenge. Finding settings that demonstrate primary care nursing practice in its finest form can be difficult. This article reports on nurse practitioner (NP) student feedback on clinical placements in the academic nurse-managed centers (ANMCs) associated with four Michigan schools or colleges of nursing. Student feedback was solicited over three years through site and preceptor evaluation tools and focus groups. Students were overwhelmingly satisfied with their experience in ANMCs. Being mentored by an NP preceptor in an ANMC was a valuable experience for students. They valued the role modeling of the NP and the quality of their preceptors' instruction. Students stated that the nursing model of care to which they were exposed was congruent with classroom learning. They reported learning to apply an understanding of their patients' economic, social, and cultural situations to treatment decisions and patient-education efforts and learning to understand the role of community-based care. One limitation of ANMCs from the students' perspective was a relatively low volume of patients, particularly in the initial years. However, the benefit of having time to spend with clients and to reflect on clinical practice was also articulated.