Access to oral health care is essential for promoting and maintaining overall health and well-being, yet oral health disparities\r\nexist among vulnerable and underserved populations. While nurses make up the largest portion of the health care work force,\r\neducational preparation to address oral health needs of elders and persons with disabilities is limited across nursing curricula. This\r\ndescriptive study reports on the interdisciplinary development, implementation, and testing of an oral health module that was\r\nincluded and infused into a graduate nursing curriculum in a three-phase plan. Phase 1 includes evaluation of a lecture presented\r\nto eight gerontological nurse practitioner (GNP) students. Phase 2 includes evaluation of GNP students� perceptions of learning,\r\nskills, and confidence following a one-time 8-hour practicum infused into 80 required practicum hours. The evaluation data\r\nshow promise in preparing nurse practitioner students to assess and address preventive oral health needs of persons aging with\r\ndisabilities such that further infusion and inclusion in a course for nurse practitioners across five specialties will implemented and\r\ntested in Phase 3.
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