Implementation of a Registered Nurse Primary Care Clinical Mentoring Academy

Abstract

Registered nurses (RNs) are pivotal team members for improving the quality of care in communities; however, they are underutilized in primary care. Two schools of nursing in Alabama partnered to develop and implement a project to build a resilient primary care RN workforce. A major component of this project is the Primary Care Clinical Mentoring Academy (PCCMA), which was designed to prepare RN clinical mentors to implement positive student learning experiences in the primary care setting. The PCCMA follows a comprehensive curriculum implementing both didactic instruction and interactive activities related to primary care competencies; interprofessional education and collaborative practice; and primary care RN mentor roles and responsibilities. Participants reported that the PCCMA was effective and useful, and they perceived that it would improve their overall job performance as a clinical mentor. The PCCMA is an effective way to produce confident and capable RN mentors in primary care. [ J Contin Educ Nurs . 2022;53(7):312–320.]

Building a Practice Ready and Resilient Nursing Workforce

“…In addition to the strategic resiliency thread for students, orientation for the primary care clinical mentors in the CPC course was held during RN Clinical Mentor Academy (CMA) sessions 33. During the CMA session, the resiliency coach shared relevant resiliency strategies to support the work of the clinical mentors in the primary care setting.…”

“…In addition to the strategic resiliency thread for students, orientation for the primary care clinical mentors in the CPC course was held during RN Clinical Mentor Academy (CMA) sessions. 33 During the CMA session, the resiliency coach shared relevant resiliency strategies to support the work of the clinical mentors in the primary care setting. Our board game was a popular activity at CMA sessions, which allowed the clinical mentors an opportunity to apply the resiliency skills in the work setting and to prepare for role modeling these skills when engaging with students at primary care clinical sites.…”

Mentors Supporting Nurses Transitioning to Primary Healthcare Roles: A Practice Improvement Initiative

“…A recent scoping review seeking to identify models of mentoring for nurses in practice (i.e., graduates registered to practice independently) described mentoring as “an interactive social process” extending beyond didactic teaching and direct supervision, as “a relationship between two people that has the specific purpose of one assisting the other to grow and develop and to increase their role effectiveness” ( Hoover et al, 2020 ). Recognition of the critical role that nurses have in delivering quality care to individuals and communities, has resulted in the establishment of a primary care clinical mentor academy in Alabama, USA specifically to prepare mentors supporting future clinicians ( Daniel et al, 2022 ). A recent integrative review of how general practice nurses (GPNs) support adult lifestyle risk reduction identified significant variability in GPNs’ interpersonal skills and the need for mentoring programs to develop capacity for motivational interviewing, relational sensitivity, and empathy ( Morris et al, 2022 ).…”