Creating a Primary Care Track in Prelicensure Nursing Education.

Background: RNs practicing in primary care (PC) increase access to health care and contribute to better patient outcomes and cost savings, yet undergraduate nursing education traditionally focuses on disease-oriented care. This article describes a curricular track for infusing PC prelicensure programs.

Method: PC content is threaded across four semesters with targeted assignments and clinical experiences.

Community health education re-envisioned: The value of partnership with the local food bank.

Baccalaureate-prepared nurses must be prepared to fulfill expanding role and skill expectations in community settings to improve population health. The use of non-traditional community clinical sites provides opportunities for students to learn and use a broad skill set such as leadership, communication, research, teaching, project management, and critical thinking. Students explore utilization of epidemiological systems and nursing theories to assist groups and communities to meet their nursing and community health needs.