Staci Reynolds, assistant professor, Mary Ann Fuchs, associate dean of clinical affairs and vice president of Patient Care & System Chief Nurse Executive, Duke Health, Pamela Edwards, associate consulting professor and assistant vice president for education, practice and research with Duke University Health System, Diane Uzarski, chief of staff, and Dean Marion Broome wrote "The Power of Two: One Academic-Practice Partnership’s Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)" for Nurse Leader. Sylvia Alston, associate chief nursing officer for Recruitment and Hospital Administrative Systems, Duke Health, also contributed. 

Abstract

Academic–practice partnerships are necessary for strengthening nursing practice, robust and relevant academic programs, and advancing health care. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a strong academic–practice partnership shaped our response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. During this unprecedented time, existing relationships between the health system and school of nursing were quickly leveraged to provide mutually beneficial relief, opportunities, and support. Initiatives described in this paper demonstrate how powerful a concentrated academic–practice partnership can be in transforming the nursing profession. Moving forward, it will be crucial for schools to build partnerships with appropriate organizations that have a vested interest in preparing nurses for the future.

Citation

Staci Reynolds, Mary Ann Fuchs, Pamela Edwards, Diane Uzarski, Sylvia Alston, Marion Broome, The Power of Two: One Academic-Practice Partnership’s Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Nurse Leader, Volume 19, Issue 2, 2021, Pages 155-158, ISSN 1541-4612, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2020.07.006. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1541461220302020)