North Dakota Gero-STARR (Specialized Training to Advance Recruitment and Retention of Nurses in Acute and Long-term Care)

Hunter Bradley
701.777.4506
hunter.bradley@UND.edu

Gero-STARR is a competitive internal scholarship training program for University of North Dakota (UND) pre-licensure nursing students that provides specialized training in the application of the 4Ms framework of age-friendly care to improve care for older adults.

Through the program, students will:

• Strengthen clinical confidence and competence
• Gain specialized geriatric training in the application of the 4Ms of age-friendly care
• Build leadership skills applying evidence-based care in hospitals and long-term care
• Benefit from having a nurse mentor dedicated to the Gero-STARR students
• Join a small, supportive learning community with administrative support
• Learn about the benefits of choosing a nursing position in a rural community

Program objectives:

• Strengthen the clinical excellence of undergraduate nursing students to address the complex healthcare needs of native and rural elders in North Dakota
• Increase the admission and retention of undergraduate students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds at UND
• Empower nursing students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds through the use of a mentoring model to promote academic success and a sense of belonging
• Transform the nursing workforce through a recruitment strategy with training of nurse preceptors and clinical instructors in the application of evidence-based 4Ms of age-friendly care

Eligible applicants are pre-licensure nursing students at University of North Dakota.

Other eligibility requirements:

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Graduated from high school in North Dakota
• Current first semester nursing student in the fall 2026 semester
• Have been accepted into the on-campus BSN nursing program at UND
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be a full-time student

Priority will be given to nursing students who meet at least one of the educationally disadvantaged criteria listed below. Students who do not meet the criteria will still be considered if room is available.

• Graduated from a high school in North Dakota considered rural by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer
• Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor's degree

Benefits of participation:

• Scholarships
• A monthly stipend for 12 months
• Designated mentor, advising, and tutoring
• Student support, resources, and advocacy
• Access to gathering space/study Gero-STARR space, the UND Northern Plains Center for Behavioral Research (NPCBR)
• Career planning and coaching
• Guidance focused on students achieving professional goals
• Membership in a learning community with support from Gero-STARR team members

Participants must agree to:

• Take a 2-week Gero-STARR training course after completion of spring semester 2027, in Culturally Sensitive Age-Friendly Care Training in Acute & Long-term Care that includes didactic, simulation, and clinical components. Gero-STARR students will earn the Age-Friendly Care credential badge.
• Sign a scholarship agreement to work in acute care or long-term care in North Dakota as a nurse following graduation for 1 year.
• Agree to share contact information and respond to Gero-STARR surveys up to 4 years following graduation to facilitate required data collection and employment history tracking.

A link to the online application is available on the program website.