Partnership model for practice and education.

The faculty practice partnership model provides a framework for collaboration between a practice setting and a university school of nursing. The model created between the Bergen County Department of Heath Services (BCDHS), the Office of Public Health Nursing (PHN) and Pace University's Lienhard School of Nursing (LSN) is one that supports faculty practice and student involvement in population-based activities. The partnership provides BCDHS with the assistance it needs to provide the three core functions of public health: assessment, assurance, and policy development. It provides LSN with a practice site where faculty members are able to maintain their clinical expertise, as well as a site for student clinical experiences and research. This article describes the partnership model and its accomplishments from both practice and educational perspectives.