The University of Nevada, Reno’s Orvis School of Nursing has received two grants totaling nearly $1.6 million to strengthen the rural advanced practice nursing workforce in Nevada. Together, the awards will support students pursuing advanced practice nursing and expand the clinical training infrastructure needed to prepare them for practice in rural and underserved communities.

“These two grants allow us to work on both sides of that equation, supporting students while also strengthening the rural clinical environments where they learn.”

“This investment recognizes that preparing advanced practice nurses for rural Nevada takes more than educating students. It takes strong clinical partnerships, committed preceptors and resources for communities that are helping train the next generation of providers,” Stephanie DeBoor, senior associate dean at the Orvis School of Nursing and project director for the grants, said.

Supporting the next generation of rural APRNs

The $638K Nevada Advanced Practice Nurse Fellowship for Rural Health grant will provide academic and living stipends for a minimum of six students pursuing advanced practice nursing.

The fellowship will support Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students pursuing dual certification. The program will provide an opportunity for APRNs to expand their preparation by adding certification in the other specialty, giving family nurse practitioners additional preparation in psychiatric-mental health care and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners additional preparation in family practice.

The goal is to give nurses additional skills to address the complex health needs of rural communities, where access to primary care and behavioral health services can be limited.

Fellows will commit to five years of rural practice following completion of their education, creating a direct pathway from advanced nursing education into rural communities across Nevada.

The fellowship will also help strengthen awareness of APRN career pathways among students in rural communities, introducing future nurses to opportunities to pursue advanced practice education and continue to serve their communities.

Expanding rural clinical training capacity

The $947K Nevada Rural APRN Capacity Expansion Program grant focuses on another critical part of building the rural APRN workforce by expanding the capacity of hospitals, clinics and other health care organizations to train advanced practice nursing students.

Through the program, the Orvis School of Nursing will work with rural and tribal health care organizations to identify opportunities to establish or strengthen clinical training partnerships. Funding will support resources and equipment needed at rural clinical sites, as well as training and ongoing support for preceptors who work directly with APRN students.

A new online portal also will provide preceptors with access to training, resources and other tools to support students throughout their clinical experiences.

“Rural clinicians know their communities and understand what it takes to provide care in those settings,” DeBoor said. “We want to work alongside those partners to make it easier for them to serve as clinical educators and to give students meaningful experiences that prepare them for rural practice.”

The Orvis School of Nursing is seeking hospitals, clinics, tribal health organizations, behavioral health providers and other rural health care partners interested in hosting APRN students, supporting preceptors, providing clinical training opportunities or exploring other ways to strengthen the rural nursing workforce.

Organizations interested in partnering can email aprngrants@unr.edu.

Strengthening rural health care through partnership

Together, the grants support both the students and health care organizations that provide the clinical experiences needed to prepare them for practice in rural communities.

The work builds on the Orvis School of Nursing’s commitment to improving health outcomes across Nevada and creating educational opportunities that connect students with the communities they will serve.