The Nursing Baccalaureate Dual Enrollment Model: Outcomes for A Community College and University Partnership.

The dual enrollment model in which universities collaborate with community colleges to provide the prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) education has been identified by the National Academy of Medicine as one of 5 viable academic progression models for transforming nursing education. The New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium (NMNEC) is a successful example of the dual enrollment model, which began in 2015 with one partnership. By 2018, 3 universities and 5 community colleges had partnered to offer the BSN jointly with the community college locations. In this retrospective, descriptive study, the 2 program types were compared to assess for differences in demographic and academic characteristics as well as program outcomes for the BSN graduates (n = 1018) from 2015 to 2018. The results of the analysis show that NMNEC has been successful in increasing the total number and diversity of BSN graduates for New Mexico. Importantly, NMNEC serves as an exemplar academic-practice partnership model because the success of the consortium would not have been possible without the involvement of practice partners. The outcomes from this study support academic-practice partnerships as instrumental in developing a better educated and more diverse nursing workforce that will improve patient outcomes and strive for health equity.

New Mexico Nurse-Midwives' Controlled Substance Prescribing and Monitoring Practices.

INTRODUCTION: New Mexico, a state with a high incidence of opioid overdose deaths, requires certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) who prescribe controlled substances to use the statewide Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP). This study examined how frequently CNMs who practice in New Mexico and prescribe controlled substances use the PMP and the purposes for which they use it. METHODS: All CNMs licensed in New Mexico (N = 210) were sent a link to an anonymous online survey. CNM demographics, practice characteristics, and controlled substance prescribing practices were examined. RESULTS: Approximately 40% of CNMs licensed in New Mexico completed the survey (N = 83), 77% of whom (64/83) were providing direct clinical care services. Nearly all who were engaged in clinical care had a US Drug Enforcement Administration registration number and were registered in the PMP (97%; 62/64). Approximately 90% of those respondents (56/62) reported prescribing controlled substances. Approximately 10% (6/62) never logged into the PMP, 40% (25/62) never ran a self-report, and nearly 30% (18/62) reported never checking the PMP for patient alerts. Among those who reported prescribing controlled substances, the percentages who never logged in, never ran a self-report, and never checked for patient alerts were 7% (4/56), 37% (21/56), and 27% (15/56), respectively. Nearly half of those prescribing controlled substances (26/56) did so monthly or more often, but with respect to their own prescribing, approximately one-third of them (9/26) checked the PMP less frequently than every 6 months. DISCUSSION: Most CNMs in New Mexico are authorized to prescribe controlled substances, but the frequency of prescribing varies, and some CNMs may not be making optimal use of the state PMP for self-reports, for patient alerts, or prior to prescribing a controlled substance. Additional education pertaining to the PMP is needed, as are best practice recommendations for monitoring CNMs' controlled substance prescribing.

Innovation in Academic Progression: Progress of the New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium Model.

AIM: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) challenged nursing education programs to increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree in nursing to 80 percent by 2020. BACKGROUND: All 18 state-funded prelicensure nursing programs in New Mexico joined forces to create the New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium (NMNEC). METHOD: NMNEC is a model of collaboration with a statewide common curriculum that provides seamless transferability for students between schools while offering the BSN on community college campuses. RESULTS: Over three years, university partnerships with community colleges increased prelicensure BSN seats by 77 percent. CONCLUSION: This article describes the NMNEC model, challenges and opportunities associated with implementation, current program outcomes, and factors that have contributed to NMNEC's success. Also discussed are future steps for sustainability and growth as NMNEC continues in its commitment to meeting the IOM challenge.