Using partnerships to advance nursing practice and education: the precious prints project

With the release of the Institute of Medicine's (2011) Future of Nursing report, nursing leaders recognized that strong academic-practice partnerships are critical to advancing the report's recommendations. Using established principles for academic-practice partnerships, a manufacturer, children's hospital, student nurses organization, and college of nursing created the Precious Prints Project (P(3)) to give families who have experienced the death of a child a sterling silver pendant of the child's fingerprint. This article outlines the background, implementation, and benefits of the P(3) partnership with the aim of encouraging readers to consider how similar programs might be implemented in their organizations. To date, the program has given pendants to more than 90 families. In addition, nurses and nursing students have been introduced to the provision of a tangible keepsake for families experiencing the loss of a child and participation in philanthropy and an academic practice partnership.