Creating a Primary Care Track in Prelicensure Nursing Education.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Primary Care (PC) Integration
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• Traditional undergraduate nursing education emphasizes disease-oriented care, limiting exposure to primary care (PC).
• Registered Nurses (RNs) in PC settings enhance healthcare access, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs.
• There is a need to integrate PC principles into prelicensure nursing programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel curricular track for infusing primary care (PC) content into undergraduate nursing programs.
• To prepare prelicensure nurses for practice in primary care settings.
• To address the growing demand for a primary care-focused nursing workforce.

Main Methods:

• Primary care content was integrated across four semesters of the nursing curriculum.
• Targeted assignments and clinical experiences focused on PC competencies.
• Clinical immersion experiences with practicing RN preceptors in community and PC settings were a core component.

Main Results:

• Student feedback indicated a positive learning experience and increased understanding of the RN role in PC.
• Class assignments and clinical rotations provided valuable insights into PC nursing practice.
• Graduating seniors who completed practicum rotations in PC settings received employment offers in these areas.

Conclusions:

• The developed PC track effectively prepares nurses for primary care roles, contributing to a robust healthcare workforce.
• This model supports the goal of promoting health equity by increasing access to primary care.
• Nurse educators can adapt this curriculum model to infuse PC content across various student populations.