Community Nursing Coalitons (CNC): An Academic-Community Partnership Model

Background and issues: Increasingly, nursing education programs are limiting student admissions due to insufficient sites for clinical placements. Concurrently, public health agencies have had extensive funding cuts translating into losses of personnel and resources; yet, are mandated to implement various programs along with providing services to growing numbers of unemployed who are without health insurance. The CNCs at University of Central Florida (UCF) is an Academic-Community Partnership model that links nursing students and clinical instructors with vulnerable communities, with health and social service agencies to the mutual benefit of all involved. Description: This partnership model, designed for students in community health nursing, has expanded to 16 CNCs, covering 5 counties in central Florida. Annually, nursing students in these CNCs have an average of 16,000 client encounters. Public and private donors identified CNCs as a means to promote the health of underserved residents while reducing health care costs. Thus, have financially sponsored individual, multiple or all the CNCs for a total of $75,000. Lessons Learned: Coalition building begins and is sustained by relationships between individuals. A continued presence of UCF in the community is imperative. Mutual goals for all the partners must be identified; then, evaluated and redefined regularly. Recommendations: Continue to nurture current partners and identify new ones (communities, organizations, populations). Seek additional funding opportunities. Evaluate student learning and community outcomes; disseminate findings.