Samford University’s Ida Moffett School of Nursing will receive $3.5 million over a four-year period to place nurse practitioner graduates in rural, underserved areas for primary care residency. The grant is the largest in Samford University’s history.
The Advanced Nursing Education — Nurse Practitioner Residency Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration is designed to prepare new nurse practitioners to deliver high-quality primary care in community-based settings. During the year-long program, nurse practitioner residents will complete academic coursework and clinical hours in underserved population locations.
“For nearly 100 years, Ida Moffett School of Nursing has prepared well-equipped, compassionate nurses to serve the underserved,” said Nena Sanders, vice provost of Samford’s College of Health Sciences and nursing school dean. “This grant affords us the opportunity to enhance the knowledge and skillsets of our graduates and intentionally place caring, competent nurse practitioners where the needs are greatest.”
The grant will facilitate the launch of the first residency program housed within the nursing school.
The program will focus on developing new family nurse practitioners with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to improve the quality and safety of rural health care systems. According to professor and grant manager Stephanie Wynn, the program will place a special priority on addressing value-based care, telehealth, obesity and mental health issues.
“This residency program will distinctively position new nurse practitioners to face the complexities which occur when providing care to rural and underserved populations,” said Wynn. “Ninety-eight percent of Alabama’s counties are designated, either all or in part, as a Medically Underserved Area or a Health Professional Shortage Area. This program will transform communities by increasing the quality and quantity of primary care providers who are trained to provide innovative, compassionate care.”
Fifty-five of Alabama’s 67 counties are considered rural, and only two of those 55 are considered to have the minimum number of providers available. According to Wynn, the state’s population per physician ratio well exceeds 3,000 to 1 in many rural areas. “Nearly 44% of Alabama’s population is living in rural areas, yet 70% of primary care physicians practice within Alabama’s five largest counties,” said Wynn. “Health care must shift to better meet the needs of today’s population.”
During their rotations, residents will receive training in vital telehealth technology reducing accessibility issues for patients that would otherwise need to travel long distances to seek care. “By providing residents with telehealth training, rural communities will gain direct access to specialists in the urban areas,” said Jill Cunningham, nurse practitioner department chair.
Wynn is leading the residency and curriculum development with the support of an interprofessional team of educators. The first cohort of ten nurse practitioners will begin their rotations July 1, 2020.
“More than twenty years ago, we launched a nurse practitioner program to fill a need within the health care system and that vision hasn’t changed,” said Jane Martin, senior associate dean for Ida Moffett School of Nursing. “We are producing well-trained, compassionate nurse practitioners who are breaking health care accessibility barriers.”
Ida Moffett School of Nursing offers nurse practitioner coursework that is aligned with the needs of today’s heath care environment. Students choose from specialty areas such as family, emergency or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and entry points are available for associate, bachelors, masters and doctoral degree holders. Advanced practice registered nurse, nurse practitioner certificates are also available. Regardless of the selected specialty area, graduates are prepared to provide excellent, patient-centered care.
