Strengthening Workforce Readiness Through Enhanced Academic-Practice Partnerships

Background: – Rural and underserved communities face persistent shortages of Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs), limiting access to high-quality care. Academic-Practice Partnerships (APPs) offer a strategy to build workforce readiness. Purpose: – This study evaluated the effects of an enhanced APP model on FNP learners’ practice confidence and employment outcomes in underserved settings. Methods: – Using a longitudinal, repeated-measures design, 33 FNP learners completed assessments at baseline, program completion, and 1-year post-graduation. Surveys measured confidence across 6 domains. Results: – Practice confidence significantly increased across all domains post-program (P < .001), with sustained gains at one year. Behavioral health and pharmacology showed initial surges followed by slight declines. One year after graduation, 63.6% remained at APP partner sites and 48.5% worked in rural areas. Conclusions: – Enhanced APP models effectively build and sustain FNP practice confidence and retention in high-need settings, though continued post-graduation support is warranted.