Primary care education in undergraduate nursing programs
Preparing for a changing workforce
Globally, healthcare systems are actively working to strengthen and transform primary care in order to address various challenges in healthcare. The World Health Organization recognises the importance of anticipating the increased workforce needs for registered nurses (RNs) within primary care settings as collaborative teams become more integrated into healthcare systems.
Collaborative team models of primary care are a key element of the World Health Organization’s Vision for primary healthcare in the 21st century. Within collaborative primary care teams, a variety of healthcare professionals, including registered nurses (RNs), work together to coordinate and deliver services.
Nursing education is essential in equipping the workforce with the necessary competencies for primary care practice. However, standardised post-licensure education programs for RNs in primary care are currently limited. Undergraduate nursing programs often lack comprehensive primary care content and exposure, leading to varied knowledge and perceptions of RN roles within primary care and leaving students ill-prepared to practice in primary care settings.
A scoping review is currently underway to examine the literature on primary care education in undergraduate nursing programs. The review aims to describe the attributes and extent of primary care education, and will be guided by the Framework of Effective Teaching–Learning in Clinical Education, which encompasses the behavioural, social, pedagogical, context of teaching–learning, and educational leadership dimensions.
The findings of this scoping review aim to provide valuable insights for integrating teaching–learning opportunities into undergraduate nursing programs. Additionally, they will clarify needs for the development and/or expansion of post-licensure education for RNs in primary care as well as providing directions for future research.
The scoping review protocol is available in the July 2023 issue of JBI Evidence Synthesis.
Integration of primary care education into undergraduate nursing programs: a scoping review protocol
Curnew, Deanne; Lukewich, Julia; Mathews, Maria; Poitras, Marie-Eve; Romme, Kristen
JBI Evidence Synthesis 21(7):p 1493-1500, July 2023. | DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-22-00312