Demonstrating a Nurse-Driven Model for Interprofessional Academic-Practice Partnerships

Jill Forcina, PhD, RN, CNE, CNL, OCN; Meg Zomorodi, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN; Leah Morgan, PhD, RN; Nikki Barrington, MPH

Online J Issues Nurs. 2023;28(2)

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract

Patient surges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the pre-existing and worsening nursing workforce shortage, have exacerbated the need to implement strategies that build a pathway to expand the current and future nursing workforce. Ideal strategies connect education and practice, based on supply and demand for healthcare professional skills. NursingNow, a global campaign that includes a USA initiative, declared the mission to elevate nurses and has called for them to be agents of change by leading innovative solutions to existing problems. This article highlights two such nurse-led innovation exemplars that fostered the connection of education and practice to engage interprofessional students. We describe the development and implementation of these initiatives and accomplishments achieved. The discussion reviews issues around contracts, compliance, and accreditation; incentives for partnerships; and the development of a health professional student corps. The call to action invites nurses, as the largest healthcare workforce, to consider leadership roles in efforts to incentivize centralized solutions and ongoing academic-practice partnerships.

Introduction

When the coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) came to the United States (U.S.) in early 2020, all aspects of healthcare were impacted. The virus led to more than 50 million infections and 800,000 deaths in the US by the end of 2021 and overwhelmed the healthcare system (AJMC, 2021), forcing systems to adapt to meet the needs of patients. In a 2021 survey of healthcare leaders in North Carolina (NC), 80% of respondents reported experiencing a workforce shortage at the time of the survey, with 52% claiming it was worse than before the pandemic (Jones et al., 2021).

Table 1. Recommendations for a Nurse-Driven Model for IPE Partnerships
Areas for Improvement	Key Recommendations
Compliance, Contracting, and Accreditation	• Broad agreements between state facilities and IHE systems to allow for more efficient workflows and dynamic partnerships between clinical sites and health professions schools • Alignment of requirements across health care systems and between health professions, allowing for greater efficiency via universal compliance and supervision requirements
Incentives for Ongoing Partnerships	• Establishment of nurse-led interprofessional collaboratives across institutions • Fiscal allocation and formal faculty appointments to coordinate IPE efforts in academic and practice settings
Health Professions Student Corps	• Formation of a nationwide health professions student corps providing interprofessional public health and disaster training, with the proper compliance tracking and contracting in place to mobilize efficiently in the case of an emergency

Authors and Disclosures

Jill Forcina, PhD, RN, CNE, CNL
Dr. Forcina is the Director of Education and Nursing at the North Carolina (NC) Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program. She is a PhD-prepared nurse with a clinical background in oncology and end-of-life care. She is a Clinical Nurse Leader, a Certified Nurse Educator, and Chair of the NC Interprofessional Leaders Collaborative. Dr. Forcina has been a key partner with stakeholders in NC in building the contact tracing curriculum and coordinating the engagement of student and interprofessional volunteers in the COVID-19 response. Email: Jill_forcina@ncahec.net

Meg Zomorodi, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Dr. Zomorodi is Assistant Provost for Interprofessional Education and Practice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received a BSN and PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. In 2014 she was selected as a Josiah Macy Faculty Scholar and is currently serving on the IPEC Expert Panel, "Leveraging the IPEC Competency Framework to Transform Health Professions Education." She leads the Rural Interprofessional Health Initiative (RIPHI) and the Carolina COVID Student Services Corps, two programs that partner IP students with communities to focus on service and quality improvement. Email: meg_zomorodi@unc.edu

Leah Morgan, PhD, RN
Dr. Morgan is an Assistant Professor in the Presbyterian School of Nursing at Queens University of Charlotte. She received a joint BSN and PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing and is an alumnus of the Hillman Scholars in Nursing Innovation program. Email: MorganL4@queens.edu

Nikki Barrington, MPH
Ms. Barrington is an MD-PhD student at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She received a BS from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MPH from the University of California, Davis. She is currently completing a PhD in neuroscience, studying neuroinflammation in traumatic brain injury and plans to specialize in neurosurgery. She is co-founder and Director of Operations for the National Association for Interprofessional Health Mentorship, Education, and Service (NAIHMES), a student organization whose mission is to promote health equity by training future healthcare providers to address the social determinants of health utilizing an interprofessional framework. Email: nikki.barrington@my.rfums.org