Nurses and Physicians to Partner for Leadership

The new Clinician Scholars Program brings various perspectives together to address health care’s most pressing concerns.

The integration of nurse and physician scientists in the Clinician Scholars Program (CSP) is designed to advance team-based approaches in research, leadership, policy, and education, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes. The CSP spans across four universities: University of Michigan (U-M), University of California Los Angeles, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. The U-M site will be based at the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI).
 
“We are pleased to work with these other top universities to train nurse and physician scholars together, to create the innovations needed to improve health care for patients,” explained Kathleen Potempa, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean and professor at U-M School of Nursing (UMSN) and a program leader with U-M’s CSP implementation. The clinician scholars, with mentorship and collaboration at each school, will develop individual projects focused on solving real world problems. The program expands on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program for physicians ending in 2016.
 
“For decades, Michigan has trained some of the brightest young physicians to study health care from many angles, and to test new ideas for care delivery,” says Rodney Hayward, M.D. Dr. Hayward directs the RWJF Clinical Scholars program at U-M and will direct the U-M CSP. “Now, working with the U-M School of Nursing, we’ll continue this commitment together with our partners at the other three institutions.”
 
“The new CSP program is another acknowledgement that nurses provide invaluable expertise to health care teams,” says Janet Larson, PhD, RN, FAAN Chair of U-M School of Nursing’s Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences. Dr. Larson serves as a nursing representative on the CSP leadership team.
 

The first cohort of scholars, who must have a PhD in nursing, medical or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree will begin the two year program in July 2016. The Early Action application due date is May 15. Regular admission deadline is September 1, 2015.

Read the full UMHS release here.
 
Learn about additional ways U-M is making interprofessional education a priority for students.
 
UM IHPI Clinician Scholars Program