Published
2026-09-25
Section
Articles
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Copyright (c) 2026 Linnea Benike, Abbie J. McGee, Kimberly Cluever, Jeanine Gangeness, Amy I. Olson
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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How to Cite
Expanding Clinical Placements with Dedicated Education Units: A Systems Approach
Linnea Benike
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Abbie J. McGee
Mayo Clinic
Kimberly Cluever
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Jeanine Gangeness
Mayo Clinic
Amy I. Olson
Mayo Clinic Health System
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/ijps.v13i1.7389
Keywords: Nursing education, Nursing students, Educational models, Dedicated Education Unit, Academic Practice Partnership, Clinical placement capacity
Abstract
Clinical placement capacity is a key limitation in prelicensure nursing education. The Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) model helps improve student outcomes, satisfaction, and address faculty and placement shortages, but widespread adoption is difficult. This article introduces a systems-based framework for expanding DEUs, stressing the importance of centralized infrastructure and strong academic–practice partnerships. A multi-year case from a large healthcare system shows that investing in leadership, standardized processes, and shared resources supports rapid, sustainable DEU growth in various clinical environments. The findings indicate that infrastructure and partnerships drive DEU scalability, enabling healthcare systems to meet changing placement needs while maintaining high standards in clinical education.
