Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Augmented Clinical Experience: A Progam Evaluation

Abstract

<p>Purpose: The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Augmented Clinical Experience (ACE) Program is a novel program that provides an enhanced clinical experience during the course of nurse practitioner (NP) education. It is designed to address concerns with the traditional preceptor model via a streamlined application and selection process, establishment of a formal school and health system partnership, availability of an administrative support system, and a structured, progressive clinical rotation schedule. The program is currently available to the Women’s Health, Acute Care, Family, and Psychiatric-Mental Health NP tracks. This project will seek to answer the question: Does the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) ACE program increase student and preceptor satisfaction at the completion of the one-year clinical program?</p>

<p>Summary: The WHNP ACE program currently includes five students in their second year of the WHNP curriculum at UAB. The program is managed by the Clinical Director, who is a Lead NP within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in collaboration with the School of Nursing (SON) and the UAB Health System Office of Advanced Practice Providers (OAPPs). The WHNP ACE program consists of nine four-week rotations throughout the second year of NP education. Exact rotation schedules vary; however, each student rotates through general obstetrics and gynecology, low risk obstetrics, high risk obstetrics, breast health, urology/gynecology, and gynecologic oncology with additional brief experiences in the Pregnancy Congenital Heart Disease clinic, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, the Maternity Evaluation Unit, and inpatient postpartum care.</p>

<p>Outcomes: In order to evaluate the WHNP ACE Program, surveys will be sent to participating students and preceptors pending prior approval from the UAB Institutional Review Board. Surveys are designed to evaluate student and preceptor satisfaction and identify areas for further improvement. Outcomes are expected to be available by the fall of 2019.</p>

<p>Results: The UAB Health System and SON would like to utilize this data to continue to expand and the program to other specialty tracks, improve upon the program, and increase the number of students utilizing the program. Dissemination of this project’s findings could lead to widespread change in WHNP clinical education practices.</p>