To prepare nurses that can meet the health needs of the nation, nursing education must provide students with exciting experiences that will encourage them to consider careers outside of acute care hospitals.

The PIONEER project had three goals: educate students in primary care settings; support and educate currently practicing RNs at our clinical practice sites; and assist clinical partners in adopting newer, more effective practices.

The PIONEER project was funded by HRSA from 2018 to 2022. Senior nursing students were recruited, and offered intensive learning opportunities, financial support, and a clinical capstone experience in community-based settings.

 

Students were paired with an assigned RN preceptor. A full-time Academic/Partnership Liaison (APL) was employed to facilitate the clinical experiences, and specialized education was provided by PIONEER team members to nurses employed in the clinical partner agencies.

 

Outcomes were measured using both standardized and team-developed instruments. (Adapted RN Checklist)

Sixty one nursing students, and 39 RNs participated. Students improved in performing the RN role in primary care. First attempt NCLEX-RN pass rates were higher than their peers. Only 15% of students accepted a first position in community-based setting, although at one year after graduation, 30% were working in primary care.

 

The RN preceptors did not report changes in their skill or satisfaction, but self-ratings indicated agreement or strong agreement about the importance, satisfaction, and professional development of precepting.

 

Without generous financial support, it is unclear that the project goals would have been met.

 

Because this was a quality improvement project, the generalizability of results is limited.

Developing new clinical teaching models is both time- and labor-intensive, and necessitates partnerships among schools of nursing and clinical agencies. Changing the status quo is not for the faint of heart, but offers many rewards.