Using a Behavioral Health Integration Model in a Family Nurse Practitioner Residency

Primary care serves as an entry point for many patients to access health care services, especially those who reside in medically underserved areas. Because an initiative exists for family nurse practitioners (FNPs) to fill primary care gaps in medically underserved areas, they must be included in educational strategies to provide quality behavioral health care within their scope of practice.

An academic-practice partnership was used to provide FNP residents the opportunity to learn to work within their scope of practice in a behavioral health integration model.

The residents noted satisfaction with the learning environment, supervisory relationship, and role of the faculty.

Innovative continuing education activities are needed to prepare novice FNPs to safely practice and enter into a health care workforce pipeline focused on reducing disparities in medically underserved areas. [.