Partnerships between academia and practice can lead to improved patient care and health system innovations. Nurse educators in both academia and practice are positioned to facilitate opportunities for students and practicing nurses to be involved in evidence-based practice (EBP) care initiatives involving academic-health care partners in clinical and/or community-based systems. Best practices in collaborative partnerships have demonstrated the significance of their far-reaching impact on patients, students, direct care nurses, and health systems. Translation of EBP knowledge to practice transforms patient outcomes and empowers nurses to address the complexity of health care systems. This article describes the process and outcomes of an academic–practice partnership facilitated by nurse educators in both academic and practice settings. The impact of the adoption of EBP projects on clinical practice, students, and practicing nurses is described. National and international implications for academic– practice partnerships are discussed.
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J Contin Educ Nurs.
2019;50(6):282–288.]
Clinical ladders are professional enhancement models that encourage and reward participants for continued professional engagement and leadership development. They have the potential to affect patient care through improved provider retention, advanced and refined clinical skills, and increased engagement. Recent literature has demonstrated development and implementation of clinical ladder models for nurse practitioners (NPs) in the acute care setting. A free standing pediatric academic hospital in Florida identified the need for such a program for nurse practitioners and given its increased utilization of physician assistants, these providers were also targeted for inclusion. This new clinical ladder included development strategies appropriate and attainable for both NP and PA scopes of practice. Consistent with Benner's theory of novice to expert (1982), each advancing rung in the ladder contains more stringent criteria and additional competencies demonstrating increased engagement, learning, and leadership. As this was a development project only, future directions for the new model include implementation and evaluation of various metrics including nurse practitioner and physician assistant retention and satisfaction. This model has laid the foundation for ladder development for additional health care professions within the institution.
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