Identifying essential clinical skills and procedures for FNP students using an electronic clinical documentation system

Nurse practitioner (NP) education is designed to prepare graduates for competent entry-level practice. However, many new family NPs (FNPs) report a lack of preparation in performing clinical skills and procedures (CSPs). There is no approved list of CSPs for FNP students. Further, there is a dearth of literature reporting CSPs frequently performed by NPs to guide NP curricula development. The purpose of this investigation was to summarize frequently encountered CSPs reported by students enrolled in an FNP program from August 2012 through December 2018 at a Midwest university and to compare results with those found in the literature. After a comprehensive review of literature, a retrospective, longitudinal assessment of CSPs identified by FNP students and extracted from a proprietary, electronic clinical documentation system (eLOGS) was conducted. Comparison was made with current literature on CSPs used by practicing FNPs. Overall, there was consistency between CSPs documented by students in eLOGS and those found in the literature. Unique to this investigation was the frequent reporting of behavioral health assessments by students. Because behavioral health conditions are often first diagnosed and treated in the primary care setting, competency in care of behavioral health conditions is clearly a necessary CSP. Educators have a responsibility to prepare graduates for the skill set needed in the workplace. This includes a standardized set of CSPs essential to FNP practice. Development of a universally accepted list of CSPs will be instrumental in refining evidence-based NP curricula that best prepares graduates with the experience and confidence necessary to enter practice.