نظرة عامة على البرنامج

Introduction to the APRN RURAL Scholars Program

The APRN Rural and Underserved Roadmap to Advance Leadership (RURAL) Scholars Program is designed to provide students with clinical placement in rural communities, training in telehealth, and opportunities for improving the health of rural families.

Program Details

• The program provides each student receiving traineeship funds with 1-2 semesters of clinical placement in rural communities through ECU Health.
• Training in telehealth with a focus on telepsychiatry is offered through the ECU Center for Telepsychiatry and Behavioral Health.
• Opportunities for improving the health of rural families, including farmers, loggers, and fishermen, and their families are provided through collaborations with the NCAI and other professional and community partners.

Commitment and Support

• APRN RURAL Scholars commit to two years of service in a rural and/or underserved community in return for traineeship support.
• Full-time students are eligible for traineeship support in the amount of $22,000, and part-time students receive $11,000.
• Payment is contingent upon the completion of all program activities.

Program Activities

Primary Care in Rural Health Immersion

• Primary Care Clinical Practicum: NP, NM, and CNS students are placed in ECU Health rural clinics and other healthcare facilities in rural and underserved communities for two semesters (NP, NM) and 1 semester (CNS) per academic year.
• MPH 6036 Fundamentals in Agromedicine: A 3-semester hour course designed to provide students with an understanding of the fundamentals of health and public health issues affecting agricultural populations in the U.S. and North Carolina.
• Telehealth Experiences: NP, NM, and CNS students participate in telehealth collaborative experiences during the fall and spring semesters.
• Purple and Golden Bus Tour: Students participate in the ECU Division of Research, Economic Development and Engagement Purple and Golden Bus Tour to introduce them to the culture, geography, heritage, economy, and assets of the communities of Eastern NC.
• EAHEC Rural Health Symposium: The symposium focuses on rural health priorities, building leadership capacity, and promoting effective rural health initiatives in ENC.
• Simulated Patient Care Experiences: Standardized patient objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) experiences are offered to NP, NM, and CNS students in collaboration with the ECU Office of Clinical Skills and Assessment Education.

Leadership in Rural Health

• Innovation Lab: A half-day session that brings together legislators, healthcare administrators, primary care providers, and healthcare consumers in rural communities to explore new tools and methodologies for addressing primary care healthcare needs.
• Public Speaking Training: A 2-hour session that prepares students for professional public speaking, including working through communication anxiety and organizing an effective presentation.

Assessment of Rural Communities

• The Rural Community Assessment project provides a snapshot of local policy, systems, and environmental strategies currently in place, with the goal of proposing strategies to increase the number and capacity of APRN primary care providers.

Professional Networking/Preparation for Transition to Practice

• NP, NM, and CNS students create an account and profile in the HRSA Health Workforce Connector and apply for an NPI number.
• Students attend at least one professional association meeting and complete a "speed dating" form documenting connections made with APRNs at the meeting.