Broadening their horizons: A rural and urban nursing student exchange program in primary care.

Educational strategies that allow students to experience patient care in both rural and urban settings are imperative to the recruitment and retention of nurses for medically underserved populations or health professional shortage areas. Two state schools of nursing (one urban-oriented and one rural-oriented) in the Mid-Atlantic region were awarded Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) project funding to educate nursing students and registered nurses in community-based primary care settings. This article will discuss an innovative rural-urban baccalaureate nursing student exchange model intended to increase understanding of enhanced RN roles in community-based primary care settings. Two project teams collaborated to create a new learning model, a rural-urban exchange, by implementing a Primary Care Camp. The camp included shared didactic content, reflection exercises, historical and cultural considerations, and clinical immersion to allow students in both programs to have on-site rural and urban learning experiences. Faculty collected informal voluntary student feedback through a debrief after their Primary Care Camp experience to assess their understanding of the enhanced RN Role in primary care and how it may affect their future nursing practice. Student feedback suggests that the students met project goals and appreciated the rural and urban exchange experience. This project is an innovative approach that offers guidance for implementing primary care education in a way that supports the current primary care RN role, builds the future workforce, and provides suggestions for replicability.

Effective teaching strategies for the older adult with urologic concerns.

Older adults are able to learn and apply new knowledge, such as management of a urological condition, but their learning style differs from that of younger clients. An understanding of the older adult's learning style, and knowledge of specific teaching strategies will benefit the urologic nurse in the ongoing effort to be a more effective patient educator.

Health promotion for mid- and later-life women.

Health outcomes in later life are dependent in part on activities started in midlife. Primary and secondary prevention strategies include seeking healthier life choices, early detection of disease, and specific disease avoidance through immunization and other activities. The recommendations for various screenings and health care for postmenopausal women have changed rapidly over the past 2 years but still include the basics of nutrition, exercise, testing for common illnesses, and control of existing health problems.