Environmental Stability and Self-Regulated Learning in an Academic-Service Partnership

The University of Michigan School of Nursing and the University of Michigan Health System formed a partnership to enhance undergraduate clinical education that fosters academic progression and seamless transition into practice. Yet, there are few innovative models in which specific clinical nursing education strategies are implemented within the academic-service partnership that contribute to these goals. In our partnership model, nurses in the health system and faculty interact synergistically to create a stable learning environment and facilitate self-regulated learning, all within a dynamic practice environment. The learning environment was stabilized by embedding faculty with clinical, education, and research expertise on units to facilitate student and clinical staff education. Self-regulated learning, a developmental strategy in which learners identify, monitor, direct and take actions for their learning needs, was initiated. As a result of these developmental changes, collaborative practices have emerged that focus on quality improvement and penetration of evidence- based practices at the point of care. We will describe the framework and specific innovative strategies that created a stable learning environment, enabled goal-directed learning, and facilitated quality improvement projects and evidence- based practice.