Health, Education and Access for Rural Tennesseans

Innovative practices preparing FNPs to support underserved areas

Dr. Tracy Collins, a clinical professor and the FNP Program Director in the Lowenberg College of Nursing (LCON), was recently awarded $579,685 to enhance Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) student education and training. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Family Nurse Practitioner – Health Education and Access for Rural Tennesseans (FNP-HEART) (HRSA ANEW FNP-HEART) project is a four-year grant that prepares FNP students to work in rural and unserved communities in West Tennessee.

The HRSA ANEW FNP-HEART purpose is to enhance and maintain formalized clinical academic practice partnerships, implement longitudinal immersive clinical training experiences, develop and support FNP preceptors, support expanded FNP education and training and transition to practice, and provide traineeship support for students enrolled in the FNP program who complete clinical training in a rural, underserved clinical setting. Diverse medical doctors and nurse practitioners serve as preceptors for the grant’s trainees to increase competency and readiness to practice upon graduation.

The grant provides traineeships funds to students each year to increase the distribution of FNPs who are ready and commented to working in medically underserved communities in West Tennessee. LCON has partnered with clinical practices to enhance FNP interprofessional education and clinical training. The clinical practices include two nurse-managed health clinics, two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and other rural clinical sites. Students, faculty, and preceptors are also allowed to expand their knowledge by participating in symposiums, FNP conferences, review courses, certification courses, and onsite healthcare training. Many of the topics covered include mental health, substance use, opioid abuse, value-based care delivery and quality initiatives, telehealth, and other health care technology used in rural, underserved clinical practices. Curriculum enhancements are incorporated to address all the needs of an underserved community.

The expected outcome of the HRSA ANEW FNP-HEART grant is to support innovative academic practice partnerships that prepare future primary care advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) through academic and clinical training for practice with a focus on rural and underserved populations.

For more information on this initiative, contact Collins at tmason@memphis.edu.