Building clinical education training capacity in nurse practitioner programs

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Primary Care Workforce Development
• Clinical Training Capacity

Background:

• Building clinical education capacity in nurse practitioner (NP) programs is vital for the primary care workforce.
• Addressing the national access to care problem requires a robust NP workforce.
• Existing challenges in securing clinical sites and preceptors are widely acknowledged.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify practical solutions for expanding clinical training capacity in NP programs.
• To explore innovative models for maximizing clinical placements.
• To address the critical need for accessible primary care services.

Main Methods:

• Review of reported challenges in clinical site acquisition.
• Identification of strategies for discovering and utilizing untapped clinical capacity.
• Proposal of innovative clinical models for NP training.

Main Results:

• Untapped clinical capacity exists in various settings.
• Innovative models can be designed and implemented to expand training.
• Specific areas for capacity development include geriatrics, long-term care, convenience care, distance learning, correctional nursing, and occupational health.

Conclusions:

• Nurse practitioner faculty must proactively remove obstacles to clinical training.
• Expanding clinical capacity requires innovative approaches and resource strengthening.
• Strategic development in diverse settings can enhance NP education and primary care access.