ANEW Program 2019 Grant uri icon

abstract

  • The purpose of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Academic-Clinical Practice Collaborative at East Carolina University College of Nursing (ECUCON) is to significantly strengthen the number and capacity of the APRN primary care workforce in rural and underserved communities in Eastern North Carolina (ENC). The innovative collaboration of students in three APRN concentrations - nurse practitioner (NP), nurse-midwife (NM), and clinical nurse specialist (CNS) will occur through joint long-term clinical placements in rural and underserved clinics through our community partner Vidant Health (VH). Collaboration with the NC Agromedicine Institute (NCAI) will prepare students in the evidence-based care of farmers, loggers, and fishermen, who represent a significant number of ENC residents. Our partnership with East Carolina University Center for Telepsychiatry and E-Behavioral Health (ECU CTeBH) will provide telepsychiatry learning experiences for students. Through the collaboration with our clinical partners, a new model of CNS education and practice will emerge that prepares CNS graduates for employment in primary care settings. The HRSA ANEW award will provide support for trainees to participate in a newly-created scholars program designed to enhance clinical experiences in rural health, develop leadership capacity, and promote employment in rural communities following graduation. The APRN Rural and Underserved Roadmap to Advance Leadership (RURAL) Scholars Program provides each student receiving traineeship funds with 2-semesters of clinical placement in rural communities through our clinical partner, VH; trains students in telehealth with a focus on telepsychiatry through the ECU CTeBH; and provides opportunities for managing the health care needs of farming, logging, and fishing communities through the NCAI. APRN RURAL Scholars will commit to two years of employment in rural/underserved communities for each year of support. Participants in the RURAL Scholars program will be recognized at the ECUCON graduation ceremony for their participation in this program. The Project goals are: (1) Develop academic-clinical partnerships with VH, the NCAI, and the ECU CTeBH; (2) Recruit and train a minimum of 15 APRN preceptors in partnership with VH; (3) Create at least six longitudinal clinical placement sites in rural and underserved communities through VH; (4) Provide $350,000 per year traineeship funds to at least 80 full- and part-time NP, NM, and CNS students; and (5) Implement the innovative APRN RURAL Scholars program to advance clinical and leadership skills and capacity in providing primary care in rural and underserved communities. All students who receive traineeship funds will participate in the RURAL Scholars program. The RURAL Scholars program will also incorporate the course MPH 6036 Fundamentals in Agromedicine to provide a broad background for the holistic and comprehensive primary care of ENC residents. ECUCON is well-positioned to significantly impact the APRN primary care workforce in NC and is home to the only NM and CNS programs in NC. We request a statutory funding preference since this project will substantially benefit rural or underserved populations.

date/time interval

  • July 2019 - December 2023