FNP DNP Faculty utilize Inter-professional Education Model for Health Department-based Clinic to provide Services for the Under-insured

Background: A major goal for the College of Health and Human Services at a Midwestern public university is to update and realign the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)DNP program.  In the context of FNP DNP education, development of a pedagogical paradigm for teaching and learning that emphasizes Inter-professional Education (IPE), IPE-based teaching strategies, IPE-based experiential knowledge, and provides access to care for underinsured residents of the community is our focus.

Objectives:  Operationalize a strategy utilizing IPE in a practice setting providing patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, with an emphasis on quality improvement, working within interdisciplinary teams.

Describe strategies to develop didactic and practicum IPE experiences at the cross-curricular level utilizing the IPE model.

Investigate funding sources to assist with clinic development and sustainability.

Method:  An area of need identified by the health department (HD) revealed the number of patients to primary care providers at almost triple the state average and quadruple the national average.   The college had previously convened an IPE group that was active in developing IPE for the students through laboratory simulations, poverty simulations and an annual IPE Research Day. An IPE sub-group was initiated to work on this project, comprised of HD personnel, FNP DNP faculty, social work (SW), occupational therapy (OT), and health science administration (HSA).  The HD will provide the clinic physical plant and patient panel base.  Monthly meetings are conducted for role delineation, grant writing and funding opportunities for the venture.  The FNP curriculum is the backbone of the project with the other professions integrating both didactic and clinical assignments throughout the curriculum in an interdisciplinary manner.  Examples include: simulations of actual patient encounters to be filmed at the HD involving integration of roles and contributions from SW, the FNP student, and OT to enhance patient care outcomes.  The HAS students will collaborate with DNP students and the HD personnel in budgeting, professional development and training on health legal and regulatory issues such as HIPAA, EHR, Meaningful Use Requirements, etc.  All students will work on projects and presentations together across the boundaries of the clinic and classroom using grading rubrics that incorporate knowledge gleaned through IPE.