An innovative interprofessional rural mental health education model for baccalaureate nursing students

Tina C. Switzer, Erika Metzler Sawin, Tim Schulte

Abstract


Background/Objective: Interprofessional collaboration is an essential skill for high-quality healthcare delivery, particularly for serving members of vulnerable populations who are managing stigmatized conditions, such as mental health disorders.  As part of a primary care-focused nursing education grant, faculty created the Interprofessional Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Experience (ICE) for nursing students. This interprofessional experience focused on educating students on team-based care for people managing mental health conditions and substance use disorders in rural areas.

Methods: ICE partnered registered nurses, providers, faculty, and graduate counseling students with 56 undergraduate nursing students, providing students with interprofessional mental health-focused clinical experiences in federally-designated Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).

Results: Fifty-six nursing grant scholars participated in ICE. Students reported that they found ICE to be valuable.

Conclusions: ICE provided nursing students with an interprofessional, team-based immersion experience, allowing them to develop an understanding of the complex mental health needs of people in underserved rural communities.

Full Text:

PDF


DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v13n12p10

Journal of Nursing Education and Practice

ISSN 1925-4040 (Print)   ISSN 1925-4059 (Online)

Copyright © Sciedu Press 
To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the 'Sciedupress.com' domain to your e-mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders.