Childbearing families: implementation of the Clinical Scholar Model for clinical teaching

This conceptual article describes a model for the development of clinical instructors/faculty, called Clinical Scholars that addresses the needs in times of shortage and economic limitations. The authors present a solution for one of the bottlenecks to the nursing workforce pipeline, which may be further replicated. The model was conceptualized to address not only the quantity of available clinical instructors but also the quality of the preparation of these instructors. As faculty members in the Clinical Scholar course, the authors describe the model as applicable to teaching in the perinatal clinical setting. Included is a brief review of the literature providing a foundation for the model, the curriculum, and the strategies utilized in the 40-hour didactic course. An example of the successful utilization of the model for perinatal nursing is included.