Reject the "Practice Readiness Myth": Ask if systems are ready for nursing graduates instead.

The nursing profession is engaged in robust national dialogue on how to implement competency-based education. This dialogue often conflates the concept of "competency-based education" with nursing "competence" or "practice readiness." Our aim is to discuss the potential harms of conflating "competency-based education" with "competence" or "practice readiness." This commentary explores the possible risks of issue conflation. Risks include (a) suggesting that nurses who have successfully obtained licensure are not "competent" or "ready to practice," and (b) de-emphasizing the importance of safe and sustainable work environments for new graduate nurses. We discuss the need to separate conversations about "competency-based education" and "practice readiness"; the need to increase the clarity and specificity of discourse surrounding competency-based education; and the need for strategic alignment across academia and practice.

Giving Life to Learning Through Rural Maternal Health Immersion Experiences.

BACKGROUND: Recruiting, retaining, and educating nursing students is essential to meet the growing need for nurses in rural communities. A nursing school enhanced its prelicensure education in rural and public health nursing, and interprofessional care by expanding experiential learning opportunities. PURPOSE: To describe longitudinal community health-based rural immersion experiences for prelicensure nursing students. METHODS: A prospective, correlational design evaluated students' knowledge and confidence in understanding rural characteristics, confidence in achieving public health nursing, and interprofessional education competencies. RESULTS: Fourteen prelicensure nursing students participated in rural maternal health immersion experiences and reported being more confident (21/27 items) than knowledgeable (18/27) in understanding rural characteristics. Over 85% reported competency in interprofessional interactions, and there was a significant difference in confidence in achieving public health nursing competencies between the beginning and end of the immersion. CONCLUSION: Using immersion experiences may be effective in enhancing students' knowledge, confidence, and competency in rural and public health, and interprofessional care.