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Background: National nurse shortages, ongoing nurse faculty retirements, and a dearth of clinical sites make it challenging to prepare advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who are ready to transition into independent provider roles, especially in acute care settings. One of the most effective ways to address these experiential learning challenges is for academic institutions and healthcare systems to form collaborative academic-practice partnerships. However, many partnerships between schools of nursing and healthcare institutions have found numerous challenges, including time to devote to the partnership, funding of ideas, competing initiatives and needs, and sustainability. Objective: The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) set out to expand the traditional academic-clinical partnership approach with a new collaborative model. Methods: Rather than both parties coming to the table with their own goals, the partnership focused on intentional relationship building, transparency, measurable outcomes, and sustainability. This model, further called the Sustainable Academic-Clinical Alliance (SACA), assures that both sides of the partnership benefit. The SACA model was used to create an academic-practice partnership with the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health System in order to increase APRN clinical practice sites and readiness of APRN students to provide care across the continuum in the state of Maryland. Results: Since July 2016, the SACA model has enabled over 40 clinical providers in over 20 different clinical areas to offer 329 different clinical and nonclinical experiences to APRN students from UMSON. At the end of the 5-year alliance, 150 unique UMSON APRN students completed 257 different clinical rotations. Conclusion: The SACA model effectively promotes the development and achievement of sustainable academic-practice partnerships by focusing on (a) intentional relationship building, (b) transparency in goal setting and alliance maintenance, (c) development of outcome measures, and (d) sustainability. Implications for Nursing: The components of the SACA model made sustainability more achievable, which has eluded previous academic-clinical partnerships. This model can serve as a blueprint for other academic and healthcare institutions to establish sustainable academic-practice partnerships., (© 2024 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

Nursing education is shifting toward competency-based education (CBE) in line with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's (AACN) 2021 Essentials. This pedagogical shift from knowledge-based leaner outcomes to competency-based learner and program outcomes affects how faculty teach, how students learn, and how programs allocate resources to support this change. The initial move toward CBE necessitates scrutiny of current curricula and alignment of curriculum, teaching strategies, and assessment tactics framed within the ten domains of the Essentials. Drawing on the Donabedian quality improvement framework, one school of nursing's curricular revisions project team discusses their strategies and challenges in implementing the AACN Essentials, illustrating the structural, procedural, and initial outcomes of adopting the Essentials across programs and specialties. Key to this approach is engaging all relevant stakeholders and mapping current curricula to the Essentials' many competencies and subcompetencies. This work informs curricular revisions and fosters faculty engagement and creativity. Lessons learned highlight a critical need for ongoing faculty development and use of learner-centric pedagogies to achieve students' competency development and practice readiness. This article offers insights and guidance for nursing programs embracing CBE and aligning with AACN Essentials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have conflicts of interest to disclose related to this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Nurse practitioner (NP) programs rely on a highly educated and experienced faculty to deliver the curriculum. Full-time NP faculty are expected to be doctorally prepared, with responsibilities for instruction, an active clinical practice, scholarship, and service., Problem: Although the majority of faculty workload comes from effort in instruction, there is significant variability in how faculty workload is assigned. Absent a national model, schools of nursing are challenged to develop workload models for NP faculty to allocate effort for the full scope of work that NP faculty are expected to perform to meet requirements for academic credentialing bodies, licensure, and academic promotion., Approach: This article examines current practices in NP workload allocation and explores ways to allocate effort to the domains of work integral to NP education., Conclusion: NP faculty workload models should align with academic promotion expectations to encourage equity and transparency., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: A growing number of nurse practitioners (NPs) are employed in nursing homes (NHs) through various NP staffing mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to examine if having NH-employed NPs was associated with nursing staff turnover and resident care outcomes measured as hospital utilization, infection control citations, and substantiated complaints in NHs in 2021-2022., Design: A cross-sectional, retrospective study., Setting and Participants: A total of 13,966 NHs from payroll-based journal (PBJ) and claim-based quality measures published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2021-2022., Methods: Facilities were identified as having NH-employed NPs if at least 1 employed NP with paid working hours ≥10 per week was reported through the PBJ. We examined if having NH-employed NPs was associated with nursing staff turnover rates, unplanned hospital utilization, infection control citations, and substantiated complaints using doubly robust estimation that combined inverse probability weight representing the NH's likelihood of employing NPs and outcome regression., Results: Approximately, 2.8% of NHs had employed NPs. Facilities with NH-employed NPs tended to be larger, hospital affiliated, and not for profit with greater medical and nursing staff availability. In addition, a significantly higher proportion of facilities with NH-employed NPs were in metropolitan areas or states with full NP practice independence. We found that facilities with NH-employed NPs had significantly lower registered nurse (adjusted β, -5.40; 95% CI, -9.50 to -1.30) and certified nursing assistant turnover rates (adjusted β, -3.35; 95% CI, -6.29 to -0.40). Facilities with NH-employed NPs also had significantly fewer long-stay resident hospitalizations, infection control citations, and substantial complaints compared with those with no NH-employed NPs., Conclusions and Implications: This study highlights the value of NH-employed NPs to improve registered nurse and certified nursing assistant staff retention and NH resident outcomes. NH stakeholders and policymakers may consider various strategies to incentivize NP employment in NHs such as removing regulatory barriers to NP practice., (Copyright © 2023 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are numerous benefits to academic practice partnerships. While there is great emphasis on the new graduate nurse transition to practice, there is less intention placed on the new nurse practitioner (NP) role transition. In a rural teaching hospital, leadership perceived a need for more support to successfully transition NPs into hospitalist practice roles. Objective: One academic practice partnership developed and implemented a grant-funded program to support advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) transition to practice at a rural teaching hospital. Methods: Informed by the results of a needs assessment, faculty and practice partners delivered lecture content in a face-to-face setting during scheduled hours. Results: Although the content was well received, attendance to and engagement with the program were suboptimal. Conclusions: Upon reflection, the program team gained valuable lessons regarding role expectations, intentional interdisciplinary collaboration, timing, alignment, delivery format, and the need for a dedicated program coordinator. Implications for nursing: APRN transition programs can provide much-needed support with dedicated structure, clear communication, and individualized content. It can also be a recruitment and retention strategy for healthcare organizations., (© 2023 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

Abstract: Many organizations, foundational documents, and structures guide nurse practitioner (NP) educators. The number can be overwhelming for nurse practitioner faculty and administrators, but awareness and understanding are essential for developing high-quality NP programs. A set of five key questions is a starting place for NP faculty to identify documents that guide their NP program development and curricula. (1) Which states does your program meet state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification? (2) Which accreditor is your program accredited by? (3) Which certification examinations are your students prepared to take? (4) Which educational competencies/standards apply to your program? (5) Which professional or practice organizations might be influential to your program? The development of high-quality NP programs advances the protection of the public and upholds the reputation of the profession. Organizations, components of licensure, accreditation, certification, education, and practice (LACEP), and key documents from national organizations will be reviewed, including how each of these are complementary and different., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.)

Currently, 60 % of the United States population is White, while the remaining belong to ethnic or racial minorities. By 2045, the Census Bureau predicts that there will no longer be any single racial or ethnic majority group in the United States. Yet, people across all healthcare professions are overwhelmingly non-Hispanic and White, leaving people from underrepresented groups severely underrepresented. The lack of diversity in healthcare professions is an issue because there is overwhelming evidence that patients from underrepresented groups experience disparities in healthcare at alarmingly high rates when compared to their White counterparts. Diversity is especially important in the nursing workforce since nurses are often the healthcare providers that engage with patients the most frequently and intimately. Additionally, patients demand a diverse nursing workforce that can provide culturally competent care. The purpose of this article is to summarize nationwide undergraduate nursing enrollment trends and discuss strategies to improve recruitment, admissions, enrollment, and retention of nursing students who belong to underrepresented groups., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Individuals with an elevated fasting glucose level, elevated glucose level after glucose challenge, or elevated hemoglobin A1c level below the diagnostic threshold for diabetes (collectively termed prediabetes) are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. More than one-third of U.S. adults have prediabetes but fewer than one in five are aware of the diagnosis. Rigorous scientific research has demonstrated the efficacy of both intensive lifestyle interventions and metformin in delaying or preventing progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. The National Clinical Care Commission (NCCC) was a federal advisory committee charged with evaluating and making recommendations to improve federal programs related to the prevention of diabetes and its complications. In this article, we describe the recommendations of an NCCC subcommittee that focused primarily on prevention of type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes. These recommendations aim to improve current federal diabetes prevention activities by 1) increasing awareness of and diagnosis of prediabetes on a population basis; 2) increasing the availability of, referral to, and insurance coverage for the National Diabetes Prevention Program and the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program; 3) facilitating Food and Drug Administration review and approval of metformin for diabetes prevention; and 4) supporting research to enhance the effectiveness of diabetes prevention. Cognizant of the burden of type 1 diabetes, the recommendations also highlight the importance of research to advance our understanding of the etiology of and opportunities for prevention of type 1 diabetes., (© 2023 by the American Diabetes Association.)

The National Clinical Care Commission (NCCC) was established by Congress to make recommendations to leverage federal policies and programs to more effectively prevent and treat diabetes and its complications. The NCCC developed a guiding framework that incorporated elements of the Socioecological and Chronic Care Models. It surveyed federal agencies and conducted follow-up meetings with representatives from 10 health-related and 11 non-health-related federal agencies. It held 12 public meetings, solicited public comments, met with numerous interested parties and key informants, and performed comprehensive literature reviews. The final report, transmitted to Congress in January 2022, contained 39 specific recommendations, including 3 foundational recommendations that addressed the necessity of an all-of-government approach to diabetes, health equity, and access to health care. At the general population level, the NCCC recommended that the federal government adopt a health-in-all-policies approach so that the activities of non-health-related federal agencies that address agriculture, food, housing, transportation, commerce, and the environment be coordinated with those of health-related federal agencies to affirmatively address the social and environmental conditions that contribute to diabetes and its complications. For individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes, including those with prediabetes, the NCCC recommended that federal policies and programs be strengthened to increase awareness of prediabetes and the availability of, referral to, and insurance coverage for intensive lifestyle interventions for diabetes prevention and that data be assembled to seek approval of metformin for diabetes prevention. For people with diabetes and its complications, the NCCC recommended that barriers to proven effective treatments for diabetes and its complications be removed, the size and competence of the workforce to treat diabetes and its complications be increased, and new payment models be implemented to support access to lifesaving medications and proven effective treatments for diabetes and its complications. The NCCC also outlined an ambitious research agenda. The NCCC strongly encourages the public to support these recommendations and Congress to take swift action., (© 2023 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Background: The treatment landscape for type 2 diabetes (T2D) is continually evolving; therefore, ongoing education of health care professionals (HCPs) is essential. There is growing interest in measuring the impact of educational activities, such as through use of the Moore framework; however, data on the benefits of continuing medical education (CME) in the management of T2D remain limited., Objective: This study aimed to evaluate HCP satisfaction; measure improvements in knowledge, competence, and performance following short, case-based, multidisciplinary web-based CME activities; and identify the remaining educational gaps., Methods: Two faculty-led, CME-accredited, web-based educational activities on T2D and obesity, touchIN CONVERSATION and touch MultiDisciplinary Team, were developed and made available on a free-to-access medical education website. Each activity comprised 3 videos lasting 10 to 15 minutes, which addressed learning objectives developed based on a review of published literature and faculty feedback. Participant satisfaction (Moore level 2) was evaluated using a postactivity questionnaire. For both activities, changes in knowledge and competence (Moore levels 3 and 4) were assessed using questionnaires completed by representative HCPs before or after participation in the activities. A second set of HCPs completed a questionnaire before and after engaging in activities that assessed changes in self-reported performance (Moore level 5)., Results: Each activity was viewed by approximately 6000 participants within 6 months. The participants expressed high levels of satisfaction (>80%) with both activities. Statistically significant improvements from baseline in knowledge and competence were reported following participation in touchIN CONVERSATION (mean score, SD before vs after activity: 4.36, 1.40 vs 5.42, 1.37; P<.001), with the proportion of learners answering at least six of 7 questions correctly, increasing from 22% (11/50) to 60% (30/50). A nonsignificant improvement in knowledge and competence was observed following participation in touch MultiDisciplinary Team (mean score, SD 4.36, 1.24 vs 4.58, 1.07; P=.35); however, baseline knowledge and competence were relatively high, where 80% of the respondents (40/50) answered at least four of 6 questions correctly. A significant improvement in HCP self-reported performance was observed in a combined analysis of both activities (mean score, SD 2.65, 1.32 vs 3.15, 1.26; P=.03), with the proportion of learners selecting the answer representing the best clinical option for all 4 questions increasing from 32% (11/34) to 59% (20/34) after the activity. Several unmet educational needs were self-reported or identified from the analysis of incorrectly answered questions, including setting individualized glycemic targets and the potential benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor therapies., Conclusions: Short, case-based, web-based CME activities designed for HCPs to fit their clinical schedules achieved improvements in knowledge, competence, and self-reported performance in T2D management. Ongoing educational needs identified included setting individualized glycemic targets and the potential benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor therapies., (©Stewart B Harris, Shannon Idzik, Adriano Boasso, Sola Quasheba Neunie, Alexander Daniel Noble, Helen Elaine Such, Joanna Van. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (https://mededu.jmir.org), 14.10.2022.)

Background: The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) has made the commitment to move all entry-level nurse practitioner (NP) education to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree by 2025., Problem: Although there are more than 250 DNP NP programs throughout the United States, many other NP programs have yet to transition to the doctoral level., Approach: Leaders representing licensure, accreditation, certification, education, and practice organizations attended a NONPF 2017 Summit to discuss the DNP degree as entry into NP practice. Summit participants strategized on building collective strengths and addressed barriers to implementation. A solution-oriented discussion with action items has been operationalized for the last 4 years., Outcomes: Four workgroups were created to address education, outcomes, capacity, and messaging related to moving all entry-level NP education to the DNP degree., Conclusion: Ongoing collaborative efforts are critical to facilitate advancing all NP education programs to the DNP degree by 2025., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Despite the initial intent of the 2004 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) position statement to move all advanced nursing practice education to the doctoral level, many schools remain at the master's degree level. Many schools successfully transitioned their programs but struggled with adequate resources for the growing number of students and the faculty, staff, and preceptor workload associated with the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project courses. The AACN 2015 taskforce made many recommendations related to quality of DNP projects, but there is little in the literature on best operational practices. The goal of this paper is to describe how one school modified the DNP project courses from a traditional chair and committee driven format to a class driven format with multiple smaller sections to successfully manage large numbers of DNP students across nine specialties. Specifically, a new model with its successes and challenges is described as well as details regarding finances, course coordination, project advisors, project team, annual offerings and grouping of students., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A final culminating project that is derived from a practice immersion experience is a critical part of a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program., Problem: Many schools use well-designed quality improvement (QI) projects to meet this requirement, but there is no consensus on which QI methods and tools are the most effective for DNP students to demonstrate before graduation., Approach: One Mid-Atlantic public university began using QI process models, one of which was a logic model, to guide their DNP projects. This led to subsequent changes in the curriculum, faculty preparation, and practice partner responsibilities., Outcome: Many benefits and challenges were identified during the logic model implementation that may benefit other schools seeking to increase consistency and rigor. Although the learning process for students and faculty may be challenging, the outcomes included improved project conceptualization, clarity, concision, and feasibility of goal attainment., Conclusions: Use of logic models expands DNP students' skills to develop and implement a successful project and supports clinical scholarship., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite the growing involvement of nurse practitioners in mental health services for children and adolescents, little is known about the patterns of mental health service use among youths treated by nurse practitioners compared to those by physicians., Objectives: To identify new users of psychotropic medications initiated by nurse practitioners and physicians among Medicaid-insured youths and to assess if receiving psychosocial services prior to or concurrent with medication initiation differs among youths treated by provider and specialty type., Design: A retrospective cohort study., Settings: We used Medicaid-insurance claims data in one mid-Atlantic state in the US., Participants: A total 12,991 Medicaid-insured youths aged 0-20 years who started psychotropic medications prescribed by nurse practitioners or physicians with primary care or psychiatric specialty during 2013-2014., Methods: Providers were grouped into nurse practitioners and physicians and into primary care and psychiatric specialty. Descriptive statistics were performed to compare each class of psychotropic medications initiated and psychiatric diagnoses of enrollees according to provider type within each specialty. Using multinomial logistic regression with psychiatrists as a reference group, we estimated the odds of having a type of prescriber for psychotropic medication initiation for youths who received psychosocial services prior to a new start of the medication and concurrently, compared to that for those who did not, after adjusting for patients' demographic characteristics and diagnosis., Results: Youths served by nurse practitioners resided in small and non-metropolitan areas significantly more often than those served by their physician counterparts. There was no major difference in a class of psychotropic medications initiated by nurse practitioners and physicians within each specialty type, except a higher proportion of antidepressants (13.5% versus 10.5%) and a lower proportion of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications prescribed (68.8% versus 74.0%) by primary care nurse practitioners compared to their physician counterparts. Youths who received psychosocial services prior to medication initiation were less likely to have primary care physicians (Adjusted odds ratio=0.15, 95% confidence interval=0.82, 1.33) or primary care nurse practitioners (Adjusted odds ratio=0.16, 95% confidence interval=0.12, 0.20) as their initiating prescriber than those who did not., Conclusions: Youths treated by nurse practitioners and physicians with or without psychiatric specialty showed unique patterns of mental health service use. Our findings can be used to build effective collaborations among provider and specialty type for quality of mental health services delivered to targeted populations in need., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest This work was supported by the Southern Nursing Research Society Research Grant Award in 2016 and the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute at the College of Health Professions, Towson University., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Quality improvement (QI) projects comprise the majority of University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) projects., Methods: An online survey was completed by 51% ( n = 38) of faculty, who teach or mentor DNP students, and was analyzed using quantitative and descriptive methods., Results: Faculty were somewhat or not familiar with developing a QI charter 68.4%, human error theory and error proofing 63.2%, driver diagrams 60.5%, characteristics of high-reliability organizations 60.5%, and Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) guidelines 55.3%. The faculty were most interested in learning more about ( n = 97 responses) were human error theory and error proofing (28.9%), SQUIRE guidelines (26.3%), statistical process control (21.1%), and implementation strategies and tactics (21.1%). The most commonly identified challenges included identifying QI projects (24%), project time constraints (16%), keeping up-to-date on QI concepts, methods, and tools (12%), and balancing professional workload (10%)., Conclusions: Gaps in self-reported QI knowledge indicate there is a need for further development of DNP and PhD prepared faculty at the UMSON., (© Copyright 2021 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

This case study describes how an innovative, triple-win, academic-practice partnership model can be used to deepen the clinical expertise of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) students and improve rural Americans' access to quality patient care. It features the experience and strategies used by a school of nursing and a local rural hospital system collaborating to provide clinical experiences for APRN students pursuing doctor of nursing practice degrees., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

There is currently a lack of consensus on the best format for Doctor of Nursing Practice project deliverables. In this article the project course history, current format, and evaluation methods are described for a Doctor of Nursing Practice program during the transition from a sole post-master's option to one that also admitted post-baccalaureate students. The project course format shifted focus from one in which students independently implemented multiple types of projects under the direction of a chairperson and committee to one in which students carried out projects utilizing quality improvement methods and tools under the mentorship of a project faculty advisor and clinical site representative. The integration of quality improvement models is exemplified through course objectives and assignments. Lessons learned through this transition are provided in the hope that the work may benefit other nursing schools with similar programs., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vulnerable populations are more likely to present to non-dental healthcare locations with dental issues. Oral health screening in those settings, such as primary care, is an effective way to identify individuals with unmet oral health needs and facilitate dental referrals., Objective: To implement and evaluate the integration of oral health screening at an outpatient transitional primary care clinic in Maryland., Methods: The quality improvement project occurred over 12 weeks. The project leader obtained support from institutional stakeholders, collaborated with dentistry, provided evidence-based resources, and developed referral strategies. Patients received a pre-screen at registration. Primary care providers used an oral health assessment tool (OHAT) for further screening and/or gave a dental referral., Results: Approximately 108 patients completed pre-screen: 73% had not seen dentist in the past 12 months; 12% had current oral problem or pain; 53% had no established dentist; <5% had a completed OHAT; 20% referred to existing dentist; 56% received dental resource listing., Conclusions: Oral health disparity continues to exist among vulnerable populations., Implications for Nursing: Oral screening by advanced practice nurses is an effective way to identify patients with unmet oral health needs and to promote dental referral., (© Copyright 2020 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

Objective: Little is known about how nurse practitioner independent practice authority (NP-IPA) influences patient care. This study examined the effect of NP-IPA on patterns of mental health-related visits provided by NPs in U.S. community health centers (CHCs)., Methods: State NP regulatory information was linked to National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data on NP- and physician-provided visits (N=61,457) in CHCs from 2006 through 2011. The proportion of NP-provided versus physician-provided mental health-related visits in states with NP-IPA was compared with the proportion in states without NP-IPA. The adjusted odds of mental health-related visits in CHCs provided by NPs in states with and without NP-IPA were compared by using multiple logistic regression models while accounting for the complex survey design., Results: Between 2006 and 2011, the odds of NP- versus physician-provided mental health-related visits in CHCs were more than two times greater in states with NP-IPA than in states with no NP-IPA (adjusted odds ratio [OR]= 2.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.12-4.60). In contrast, no significant difference between states with and without NP-IPA was noted in non-mental health-related CHC visits provided by NPs. Among all mental health-related visits, the odds of visits in which psychotropic medications were prescribed by an NP were more than three times higher in states with NP-IPA than in those without NP-IPA (adjusted OR=3.14, CI=1.50-6.54)., Conclusions: Compared with physicians, NPs provided proportionally more CHC mental health-related visits in states with NP-IPA than in states without NP-IPA.

This article describes a qualitative evaluation of an interprofessional educational experience for nurse practitioner and pharmacy students using standardized patients and physicians role-playing physicians in clinical scenarios. This experience included the development of two clinical scenarios; training of standardized patients, providers, and faculty facilitators; pre-briefing preparation; partial facilitator prompting simulations; and facilitated debriefings. Forty-six students participated in the formative simulation. Small groups of students and faculty facilitators worked through two clinical scenarios that were based on the expected emergence of the patient-centered medical homes. The scenarios incorporated different interprofessional communication modes, including in-person, telephonic, and video-conferencing. Time-in/time-out debriefings were incorporated to provide guidance to students about how to engage in interprofessional collaboration. After completion of the scenarios, facilitated group debriefings allowed for reflection on communication strategies and roles. Immediately following the learning activity, 30 volunteer focus group participants provided comments anonymously in a semi-structured format. Conventional content analysis was used to identify overarching themes. Participants expressed improved understanding of individual roles, increased confidence, and a better sense of interprofessional support. The educational experience themes included the benefits of a realistic nature of the simulation and the need for improved student orientation to roles and expectations prior to the clinical simulations., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In 2008, the University of Maryland School of Nursing transitioned the doctor of nursing practice core courses from an in-class to a blended (hybrid) course delivery method. As part of this transition, the evidence-based practice course was reconceptualized, implemented in its new format, and evaluated after being completed by 2 cohorts. The transition was successful because of a strong open interprofessional team, faculty training in blended course best practices, support by experts in instructional design and Web-based learning throughout the transition, and continual formative evaluation by students and faculty. The resulting course received strong positive evaluations by students and was certified by Quality Matters, indicating the incorporation of best practices in online teaching., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)