Preparing Baccalaureate Nursing Students to Care for Patients in the Primary Care Setting Blanca Miller1*, Norma Martinez Rogers2

Abstract

Nursing education must consider different models that incorporate techniques to enhance skills of partnership for nursing graduates’ working with varied healthcare professionals in a multifaceted healthcare system. Methodist College, in partnership with Unity Point Health, recruited, prepared, and educated nursing students to deliver community-based primary care in the areas of chronic disease prevention, mental health, and substance abuse through Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention (NEPQR)-RNs in Primary Care Project. This project provided continuing education modules designed to enhance and expand on concepts of wellness, patient-centered care, care coordination, data analytics, quality improvement, and COVID-19 in relationship to population and community-based health and established educational and organizational opportunities for registered nurses working in community-based primary care. The registered nurses served as preceptors for students participating in the project. The project prepared prelicensure nursing students for delivering community-based primary care and enhanced the role of the registered nurse in primary care and public health settings.