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Integrating Primary Care in Baccalaureate Nursing
Burnham, Tara
Burnham, Tara
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Abstract
Background: Registered Nurses (RNs) with expertise in primary care are essential to improve health outcomes and quality of care in areas such as chronic disease management, transitional care management, and preventive care. However, primary care didactic and experiential learning are lacking in many baccalaureate nursing programs. Purpose: To enhance primary care integration into an undergraduate adult health nursing course, assess current primary care content in one baccalaureate program, and identify courses/key concepts needed for future primary care enhanced curriculum. Methods: Primary care activities consisting of didactic and experiential learning were integrated into an adult health nursing course. Student self-efficacy was assessed, and students, faculty, and preceptors evaluated the integration. The curriculum was also evaluated by program faculty for comfort, feasibility, and presence of 32 primary care activities. Results: Student (n=102) self-efficacy increased in the following primary care domains: transitions of care management (p=.023), care coordination (p=.002), triage (p <.001), and telehealth (p <.001). Clinical students (n=12) and preceptors (n=5) reported overall positive experiences with support for ongoing primary care curriculum. Clinical faculty focus group (n=4) and co-faculty (n=2) debriefing revealed themes of strengths, concerns, and suggestions for improvement. Activities most lacking within the curriculum were those unique to primary care, and activities most prevalent bridged to other facets of the program. Conclusions: Primary care activities can be successfully integrated into existing courses and should include experiential learning. Implementation of the new Essentials provides an ideal time for further program integration of lacking primary care content.
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Date
2023-01-01