Use of telehealth simulation to teach the enhanced primary care RN role through community/public health-focused simulations

Abstract

America is facing a primary care provider shortage. Enhanced primary care RNs (EPC-RNs), registered nurses working at the top of their practice scope, can be an important part of community-based primary care provision. Typically, community health nursing education has not included primary care-based clinical experiences, and there is a clinical site shortage. Teaching students about EPC-RN roles can be an important domain of community/public health nursing education. Simulation is a creative pedagogical approach to learning about the EPC-RN role. The purpose of this manuscript is to 1) describe EPC-RN Telehealth Simulation development; and 2) describe student simulation feedback. Nursing faculty and simulation experts designed five simulations for community health students to teach about the EPC-RN role, incorporating recommendations from the Quad Council Coalition of Public Health Nursing Organizations community/public health nursing competencies and the National Competencies for Registered Nurses in Primary Care. Retrospective, descriptive quantitative, and qualitative student feedback data (n = 519) was collected through QuestionPro over multiple semesters. Student feedback data demonstrated support of the use of the simulations in community/public health nursing education. The EPC-RN Telehealth Simulations prepared pre-licensure nursing students to practice in community-based primary care settings. Innovative, sustainable experiences such as this can improve community/public health nursing education.

Keywords: community health nursing; primary care; public health nursing education; simulation; telehealth.