Partnerships show promise for NP clinical placements

Academic-practice partnerships may offer the best solution to the persistent challenge of finding enough clinical sites for nurse practitioner (NP) students, according to an American Journal of Nursing June report. Connecticut-based Community Health Center started a position to coordinate student and trainee experiences, which eased the placement process and reduced the burden of precepting on clinicians. Creating relationships at the institutional level can also help. At Durham, N.C.-based Duke, the nursing school tries to set up multi-year contracts with clinical sites, which can include summer camps, school-based health centers, federally qualified health centers and Veterans Administration facilities. This year, a task force convened by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing raised the minimum number of direct patient care clinical hours for NP programs from 500 to 750, which could continue to make it challenging for schools to place students.