Presentation
Building Care Coordination Skills in Primary Care
Virginia Regional Health Sciences Education Symposium
(2020)
Abstract
Background:
Primary care (PC) capacity is decreasing. Fewer providers are available, patients have increasingly complex needs, and payments to PC are limited. The Primary Care Improved Outcomes with Nurses in Evolving and Expanding Roles (PIONEER) project educates undergraduate nursing students to practice in PC settings and supports and educates practicing RNs towards full, patient-centered practice in PC settings that serve vulnerable and underserved populations.
Methods:
Partnerships have been established between VCU School of Nursing and four community-based PC settings, all based in geographic health professional shortage areas. PIONEER has three major foci: professional development for RNs at the practice sites, education and clinical experience in PC for selected senior nursing students, and support for the clinical partners to transform their practices.
Findings:
RNs are educated as preceptors for nursing students and receive tuition support to complete the Care Coordination Certificate program at VCU. Additionally, PIONEER project faculty offer in-service education programs to RN staff about the enhanced roles for the RN, focusing on care coordination skills. Topics align with Care Coordination and Transition Management (CCTM) competencies as outlined by American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN).
Senior nursing students are competitively selected and complete a two-week long summer camp program, which incorporates interactive seminars, case studies, role play, and clinical immersion. Additionally, students complete their 180-hour senior capstone clinical course with one of the clinical partners.
Implications:
The current emphasis in health professions education on sickness care is not sustainable, and must be balanced with efforts to support healthy living, a focus on the individual, improved transitions, and integration of care (Lipstein et al., 2016). These are also the tenets of PC, and essential for all members of the healthcare workforce. With targeted training in care coordination strategies, nurses are well-positioned to provide interventions to improve the quality of the PC experience.
References
Haas, S.A., Swan, B.A., & Haynes, T.A. (2014). Care coordination and transition management: Core Curriculum. American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing.
Lipstein, S. H., Kellerman, A. L., Berkowitz, B., Phillips, R., Sklar, D., Steele, G. D., & Thibault, G. E. (2016). Workforce for the 21st century health and health care: A vital direction for health and health care. Retrieved from National Academy of Medicine website: http://www.nam.edu/VitalDirections.
Keywords
- nursing; primary care; education; care coordination
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring February 28, 2020
Location
Richmond, VA
Citation Information
Hallel Basco, Kimberly Davis, Dawn Goldstein and Tamara Zurakowski. "Building Care Coordination Skills in Primary Care" Virginia Regional Health Sciences Education Symposium (2020) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tamara-zurakowski/1/