Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Project Examples: Nurses

Other Project Examples

Premera Rural Nursing Health Initiative at the University of Washington

Added January 2024

  • Need: To create rural clinical placement and postgraduate fellowship opportunities for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students and recent Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) graduates in Washington.
  • Intervention: The Rural Nursing Health Initiative (RNHI), a program out of the University of Washington School of Nursing that created clinical placement opportunities for DNP students and a postgraduate fellowship program for ARNP graduates.
  • Results: Rural clinical stipends have been awarded to 80 DNP students, and 12 ARNPs completed rural fellowships between 2021 and 2023.

Old Dominion University's Student-Run Mobile Health Clinic

funded by the Health Resources Services Administration

Added November 2023

  • Need: To fill gaps in care for rural communities in southeastern Virginia while providing clinical placement opportunities for nursing students.
  • Intervention: A free mobile health clinic staffed by Old Dominion University nursing students that visits rural schools and other community centers.
  • Results: Hundreds of students have gained hands-on rural experience working in the clinic since its launch.

Implementation of a Nursing Veterans' Initiative to Transform Education (INVITE)

funded by the Health Resources Services Administration

Updated/reviewed August 2023

  • Need: To support rural veterans pursuing a career in nursing.
  • Intervention: The INVITE program improved the curriculum and reworked admission requirements to better support veteran students' experiences in the College of St. Scholastica undergraduate nursing program.
  • Results: The number of veterans pursuing nursing has more than doubled since program implementation, and all students have reported an increased interest in serving rural communities.

CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders)

Updated/reviewed July 2023

  • Need: To help older adults age in place.
  • Intervention: For five months, CAPABLE participants receive home visits from a registered nurse, occupational therapist, and home repair services.
  • Results: There are currently over 35 CAPABLE sites across the country, 11 of which are located in rural communities.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health TeleSANE Center

Updated/reviewed May 2023

  • Need: Clinicians in rural and underserved areas are often unprepared to provide comprehensive medical-forensic examinations for patients who present for care following a sexual assault.
  • Intervention: The MDPH TeleSANE Center uses secure telehealth software to connect sexual assault nurse examiners to clinicians and patients in hospitals across Massachusetts — including four in rural counties — offering expert clinical guidance and support before, during, and after examinations.
  • Results: Clinicians report that the service gives them increased confidence throughout the examination process. To date, the MDPH TeleSANE Center has assisted in the care of over 730 patients.

Queen Anne's County Mobile Integrated Community Health (MICH) Program

Updated/reviewed April 2023

  • Need: To connect patients to resources in order to reduce use of emergency services, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions.
  • Intervention: Patients receive support (by in-person visit, phone call, or telehealth visit) from a paramedic, community health nurse, peer recovery specialist, and pharmacist.
  • Results: Between July 2016 and June 2019, the MICH program enrolled 233 patients and demonstrated a total savings of $3,393,908 in healthcare costs.

Garrett County Regional Cancer Patient Navigator Program

funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Updated/reviewed March 2020

  • Need: Comprehensive cancer services for residents of an 8-county, 3-state area in Appalachia.
  • Intervention: Using a Cancer Patient Navigation Tool Kit, a Maryland acute care facility led a multidisciplinary collaboration that provided the area's patients with expanded cancer treatment services.
  • Results: In addition to several new cancer-related programs, expanded services are now available for cancer patients, families, and cancer survivors.

For examples from other sources, see: