This article describes one university's experience in creating a master's geriatric clinical nurse specialist-nurse educator program to address the nursing faculty shortage and the need for geriatric clinical nurse specialists. The successes and challenges are outlined, and curricular ideas that may be beneficial to other nursing programs also are presented. This program has enhanced the university's pool of clinical instructors, increased its ability to provide services to older adults, and allowed faculty to instruct and focus undergraduates in the distinctions of geriatric nursing care. The biggest challenges faced were marketing and recruitment of nurses; these challenges were addressed, and possible solutions are offered. The most immediate benefit of this program was the generation of geriatric clinical nurse specialists.

A simulation fair is one way to increase nursing student satisfaction with how they acquire skills and competencies in nursing. New nursing students must acquire classroom knowledge and clinical skills in a short time. New knowledge and skills must then be applied to the clinical setting with real patients. This article describes the process and outcomes of a successful educational innovation aimed at streamlining knowledge acquisition and enhancing student satisfaction with learning. In this innovative strategy, a case scenario for the high-fidelity simulation laboratory required students to rotate through seven faculty-facilitated learning stations during the day with their clinical cohort. All levels of simulation were used to educate students in gerontological nursing assessments and care. The hands-on experience was successful and satisfying to both the students and the clinical faculty. A suggestion for future modification of this program to suit other clinical courses and settings is offered.

In 2002, a Community Academic Practice Alliance (CAPA) was forged between Marin County, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and local bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) nursing programs. This alliance has increased opportunities for DHHS to recruit new baccalaureate registered nurses, eliminated competition among universities for community health nursing (CHN) placements, enriched experiences for BSN students, and enhanced service to the community. This article describes the development process and examines preceptor, faculty, and student satisfaction. It also describes students' attitudes toward CHN and public health nursing, which increased significantly (p < .001, 95% confidence interval of 1.11-2.14). Process evaluation (17 Likert items, on a scale ranging from 1 [low] to 4 [high]) revealed a mean of 3.30 with a standard deviation of 0.328 suggesting CAPA members' satisfaction with the process. This project was presented at the American Public Health Association 131st annual meeting, San Francisco, California, November 2003.