Nursing Students' and Nurse Preceptors' Perspectives of an Ambulatory Dedicated Education Unit in Primary Care and General Internal Medicine.

BACKGROUND: The sustainability of prelicensure nursing clinical learning models within ambulatory care is dependent on strong partnership and the availability of ambulatory nurse preceptors. Evaluation of preceptor and student satisfaction with ambulatory clinical experiences is necessary to identify program strengths and opportunities. METHOD: Nursing students' and nurse preceptors' perceptions of an ambulatory dedicated education unit (DEU) in primary care and general internal medicine practices were measured from 2021 to 2023. RESULTS: Students' survey responses indicated a high level of agreement for 20 (90.9%) of 22 items in 2021, 35 (100%) of 35 items in 2022, and 32 (91.4%) of 35 items in 2023. Preceptor responses demonstrated favorable agreement with all of the work-life satisfaction across the 3 years of the survey, with the exception of one question on the 2021 survey. CONCLUSION: Nursing students and staff nurse preceptors found the ambulatory DEU teaching and learning experience to be positive and satisfying. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(3):171-177.].

The Ambulatory Dedicated Education Unit (DEU): An important example of academic practice partnership in ambulatory care.

BACKGROUND: Academic Practice Partnerships (APPs) work synergistically to support mutual goals and educate the nursing workforce of the future. Enhanced recognition of the need for undergraduate nursing educational experiences in ambulatory care has increased the importance of Ambulatory APPs specifically. One mechanism for building Ambulatory APPs and shifting clinical education into multiple spheres of care is the Ambulatory Dedicated Education Unit (DEU). METHODS: Partners at the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota developed an Ambulatory DEU in early 2019. Barriers to educating nursing students in the ambulatory setting were effectively mitigated through the design of the DEU and mutual efforts to sustain the Ambulatory APP through flexibility and adaptation. RESULTS: The Ambulatory DEU clinical learning model is a strong example of an effective Ambulatory APP. The DEU was effective in overcoming eight common barriers to clinical learning in ambulatory settings and engaged 28 expert ambulatory registered nurses in the clinical teaching of between 25 and 32 senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students each year. Each student participating in the DEU experienced 90 h of ambulatory clinical learning. The Ambulatory DEU is in its fourth year and remains an effective mechanism for engaging nursing students in the competencies and complex care of ambulatory nursing. CONCLUSION: Increasingly complex nursing care is being provided in ambulatory care settings. The DEU is an effective mechanism to prepare students in the ambulatory sphere of care and is a unique opportunity for ambulatory practice partners to learn and grow from participating in a partnered teaching environment.