Abstract
Background: Low numbers of new graduate nurses entering careers in primary care settings are insufficient to meet the demand of the current nursing shortage. The Enhancing Nurse Roles in Community Health (ENRICH) Fellowship is aimed at increasing undergraduate nursing students' exposure to population health concepts by providing opportunities to practice in primary care settings.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate an undergraduate nursing fellowship program to enhance competency development in the primary care setting.
Methods: Fellows received targeted exposure to population health content and immersive primary care experiences through participation in 150 dedicated clinical hours in primary clinics, coupled with up to 250 hours of dedicated curriculum.
Results: Students who participated in the ENRICH Fellowship showed increased knowledge, improved perception of skills performance, and changed attitudes about population health and primary care nursing.
Conclusion: Participation in a population health-based fellowship that includes targeted curricular content and primary care-based clinical experiences during an undergraduate nursing program improves knowledge, attitudes, and competency-based skills related to primary care and population health.