In Collaboration with: Angel Korynta, RN, PHN

Problem Statement: The Triple Aim of Health Care focuses on improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs of health care. Nurses, regardless of where they practice, will play key roles in achieving the population health aim.  What is needed to develop the skills that broaden the nurse’s vision into the community?  How do we engage nurses in providing services to clients by seeing the bigger picture of how their work at the “bedside” extends into the community?

Approach: This presentation describes creating an academic-practice partnership using a community-based rotation for all nursing students. We engaged a community steering committee of state and local public health, civic, academic, and clinical nurse leaders to develop and pilot an intensive curriculum through a local hospital’s summer nurse internship program. Working in a hospital clinical area with an assigned nurse mentor, students engaged in a variety of population focused activities using community and civic engagement strategies.

Products/Outcome: Community-based curriculum tied to clinical areas and populations seen in the hospital. Pre- and post-internship data will be presented. Students improved knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors. Student and mentor feedback provides lessons learned for improving a community-based clinical rotation that builds a culture of health.

Implications: Academic-practice partnerships engaging nursing students in community-linked clinical rotations will help prepare future nurse leaders to foster a culture of health. Preliminary data shows an education cycle of content, practice and reflection with a focus on creating a sense of community and citizen agencies, develops more awareness around population health management and building a culture of health, regardless of the area of practice.