Designing an Innovative Curricular Module to Teach Patient-Centered Care Coordination

It is crucial that nursing students learn the evolving role of the nurse as care coordinator. Participating in clinical experiences outside of the acute setting is beneficial in helping students expand their knowledge; however, it may be difficult for students to transfer this knowledge to other settings. Creating a clinical module that includes a variety of experiences and assignments focused on providing care in non-acute settings affords the opportunity for the transfer and application of this knowledge. This presentation will discuss the design and operationalization of a Patient-Centered Care Coordination (PCCC) module, including a description of the five learning experiences and accompanying assignments. This description will include how the module evolved and was implemented within a clinical course integrating adult medical-surgical and mental health clinical experiences. The five clinical experiences included: two observational days, one with a home care RN and one with a hospice RN; attendance at a student-selected outpatient support group; an independent case study experience utilizing a patient case in the Electronic Health Record; and a faculty-facilitated virtual ambulatory care experience where the student provided care for three patients in a clinic utilizing the virtual platform of Second Life. This complete curricular module presented students with several opportunities to observe and experience the professional nursing role of care coordination across the transitions that take place in various healthcare settings. The PCCC clinical experiences occurred in and/or focused on a variety of non-acute clinical settings that contributed to understanding fundamental components of PCCC and the corresponding nursing care responsibilities and competencies. In addition, the literature supporting the growing role of PCCC in U.S healthcare will be presented, and the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed by professional nurses to provide PCCC will be described. Integrating similar modules into program curricula may improve outcomes for both the nursing students and their future patients.