Dissemination to Date

The iterative learning which has taken place would not have been possible without repeated opportunities for educators and practice partners to share strategies, actions, tools, and outcomes for mutual benefit.  The convening efforts of the APIN NPO resulted in refinement and strengthening of the learning community which benefitted all.  However it is only recently that the work reached the point in which the NPO has had an opportunity to distill key program attributes and early outcomes.  When these can be communicated clearly and intentionally, program staff see a further advantage of the partnership option - a relative lack of resistance and possible speed of implementation by motivated education leaders. A recent development in the evolution of the concurrent enrollment model is the rapid escalation of participation by large online RN-BSN programs.  

Other programs are advancing and gaining momentum as well, however this organic process creates an area of increasing challenge.  Although systematic efforts to identify other programs nationally have been limited, APIN NPO staff are aware of similar models under development in Idaho, Illinois, Arkansas, New Jersey, Ohio, and other states.  It appears that each of these projects involves a few schools only, and they are developing in relative isolation from one another, resulting in significant duplication of effort, and no centralized evaluation of outcomes. 

The APIN project served the intent of identifying and developing successful models of academic progression, and early work to disseminate the lessons learned has resulted in substantial interest.  Innovative academic progression pathways remain the exception rather than the rule however, and this is especially true in areas outside of major urban centers.  The availability of resources on the APIN and Campaign for Action website will help those seeking specific tools.  This avenue of communication is likely not sufficient for maintaining momentum for the transformative change still needed nationally.