Leveraging Academic-Practice Partnerships at a Safety Net Hospital.

BACKGROUND In the evolving landscape of health care, the need for highly skilled nursing professionals has never been greater. Central to meeting this demand is the collaboration between academic institutions and health care settings, particularly through faculty practice partnerships.

METHOD An academic-practice partnership in a safety-net hospital partnered with doctorally prepared faculty from a private university and a public community college to create an academic-practice partnership triad. This triad addresses every level of need, including the clinical placements of licensed practical nurses; associate, baccalaureate, and master's students; and doctoral candidates completing their research in the facility.

RESULTS These collaborations between academic institutions and health care organizations aimed to enhance new graduate nurse readiness, improve health care quality, and strengthen workforce development.

CONCLUSION Through shared resources, interdisciplinary learning, and real-world application, this partnership not only benefits students and professionals but also strengthens the health care system as a whole.