A creative clinical education model: three views.

To effectively educate nurses who are able to meet changing health care needs, new models for clinical experiences must be considered. Collaborative arrangements between practice and education are particularly useful. The preceptor approach is used widely for seasoned students in senior experiences nearing graduation. The "paired" model, a variation on the preceptor model, has worked well in one setting for beginning students. It needs to be tried in other settings with different faculty and perhaps in other types of courses, and it needs to be tested. Collaboration between education and practice not only benefits education, but lays the groundwork for shared scholarly endeavors. Ultimately these relationships have a positive impact on patient care.