Advanced Practice Education Associates (APEA) is providing the learning and clinical resources NP programs need to help students graduate on time and pass the national certification exams.

Individualized, Customized Attention

APEA University & Faculty Consultant Betty Vicknair, APRN, MSN, PNP, is consulting with NP programs to identify solutions that will help students fulfill clinical hours required for graduation. To request a consultation, email betty@apea.com.

“We likely have an existing product that a university can implement immediately, but we also work collaboratively with faculty to quickly create a product that meets student needs,” Vicknair said. “Some of these products are accessible digitally and could be used as alternatives to in-person clinical hours and assessment checkoffs.”

How to Meet Clinical Hour Requirements

The following are examples of APEA resources that meet clinical hour requirements in lieu of onsite clinical experiences:

• APEA Review Course & Clinical Update for FNP and AGPCNP candidates delivered via streaming video, audio, or live webinar. (Upcoming live webinar courses will be held March 30 & 31, April 5 & 6, April 26 & 27, May 4 & 5, and May 7 & 8.) This course provides 30+ contact hours (13.5 pharmacology FNP, 15 hours pharmacology AGPCNP) and may be used in lieu of didactic teaching and as an alternative to clinical hours. It includes a Course Manual in PDF format, plus 200 practice questions to reinforce course content. Request a course content outline by emailing betty@apea.com.
• Women’s Health Learning Modules. These video lectures can be utilized as an adjunct to didactic teaching, as a women’s health review, or as an alternative to clinical hours. This series contains 10 videos on topics ranging from routine gynecologic care to common conditions in pregnancy to step-by-step instruction in pelvic examination.
• Education in Office-Based Procedures. Educate students and meet clinical hour requirements using videos on office-based procedures. APEA offers three videos focused on procedures. One is included in the APEA Review Course & Clinical Update and is available separately as Fundamentals of Primary Care Procedures. This 1-hour video provides didactic education on incision and drainage, skin lesion removal, and anesthetic selection. Another option for office procedure education is a 2.5-hour step-by-step demonstration (with a didactic component) on performing the gynecologic exam. The third option for procedure education is a 2.5-hour demonstration (with a didactic component) on performing joint injections for common orthopedic presentations.
• Guide to Reimbursement and Coding. This three-part video lecture series provides education on accurate selection of E&M codes, how to determine visit complexity, and how to prevent fraudulent billing practices. This video education comes with a set of detailed reference cards for ongoing use. This education product can be incorporated as an adjunct to didactic teaching or as an alternative to clinical hours.
• APEA CE Library Options. The APEA CE Library contains numerous video and printed options that can be used as alternatives to clinical hours. More than 100 topics are contained in the Clinical Briefs series of written articles and the Fundamentals series of videotaped lectures.

How to Meet Education & Testing Needs

APEA products that assist in meeting comprehensive education and testing needs include:

• CareOnPoint. CareOnPoint is the mobile reference tool developed by NPs for NPs. It assists NP students in making evidence-based decisions about patient care, and it provides contact hours.
• Clinical Guidelines in Primary Care. This reference book provides diagnosis and treatment information on more than 300 diagnoses commonly encountered in the primary care setting. It can be used as a text throughout the entire educational program.
• MyQBank Study Questions. The MyQBank suite provides approximately 4,000 study questions in four areas: pathophysiology, assessment, prescribing, and management. MyQBank allows faculty to create assignments and view student performance over time. It increases student comprehension in all knowledge areas and testing domains. MyQBank is an excellent resource for enhancing faculty teaching, closing gaps in knowledge deficits, and preparing for the certification exams. Faculty can track student progress in MyQBank, and time spent answering study questions can be counted as clinical hours.
• Exams. APEA has developed trusted exams to assess knowledge and readiness in AGPCNP, FNP, and PNP curriculums. Learn about APEA 3P Exams, APEA Predictor Exams, and APEA Pediatric Competency Exams by emailing betty@apea.com or visiting https://www.apea.com/np-faculty.
• Clinical Tools. APEA has developed a variety of clinical tools to build student and practitioner knowledge and to enhance assessment and treatment plans. These include Amelie’s Antibiotic Cards, Pediatric Antibiotic Guide, Topical Steroid Dispensing, Guide to Billing & Coding in the Outpatient Setting, Guide to Growth and Development, Building Blocks of Growth flash cards and Pharm in a Flash flash cards.

Meeting Faculty Needs

APEA has been meeting the needs of NP programs for more than 20 years, and is fully equipped and mobilized to help faculty and NP students weather the COVID-19 crisis. APEA invites all faculty members to email betty@apea.com to discuss how the company can provide customized solutions that will keep students and programs on track toward success. Visit https://www.apea.com/np-faculty for more information.