Integration of nursing education, practice, and research through community partnerships: a case study

Models demonstrating an evidence-based approach to the integration of nursing education, research, and practice are needed to ensure excellence in the nursing profession. Using a theoretical framework of community-engaged scholarship, this article describes a program developed by the Medical University of South Carolina's College of Nursing linking advanced practice, service learning, and applied clinical research for nurse-midwifery faculty and students, while meeting the perinatal healthcare needs of a group of underserved women. Principles of community-based partnerships and integration of scholarship and research in a clinical discipline provide a pragmatic structure to describe and facilitate replication of the program.