Innovative Intraprofessional Clinical Training for Clinical Nurse Specialists and Nurse Practitioner Students

Background: Most graduate nursing education curricula naturally segregate students by role as they move into their role-specific coursework and clinical experiences. Segregation diminishes the opportunity for students to form important intraprofessional relationships. Intraprofessional collaboration can potentiate the influence of advanced practice nurses on individual patients, patient populations, and larger health care systems. Method: This pilot program paired clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioner students in immersion clinical practicum experiences aimed to increase their understanding of each other's role and potential avenues for collaboration in future practice. Results: Students report increased levels of understanding of each other's roles and scope of practice. Pairing students in immersion experiences broadens their clinical reach and potentiates their influence on vulnerable patient populations. Conclusion: Findings indicate that this pilot program can be sustained. Benefits to early and focused intraprofessional educational experiences include increased awareness of advanced practice roles, scope of practice, and potential avenues for future collaboration.