URI nursing project enhances primary care, student experience

Nurse practitioner students in the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing
will get more hands-on experience, and patients at two community health
centers will benefit from their expertise, thanks to a $2.7 million,
four-year grant aimed at enhancing the nursing workforce and
strengthening health care in the community.

The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce program, funded by the
federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), enhances
the academic clinical partnerships between the College and two community
health centers — Thundermist Health Center and Providence Community Health Center. Students in the Adult Gerontology, Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner programs, based at the Nursing Education Center
in Providence, will be placed in the health centers to provide primary
care and behavioral health services, under the supervision of
professionals in the centers.

Associate Professor Denise Coppa expects 48 to 56 students will be
placed in one or both of the centers over the four-year period, each
working two days a week, while maintaining their studies as full-time
students. The grant includes money for traineeships, paying the tuition
of 14 students in the program each year. The students will also gain
greater experience and advice from a cohort of preceptors that will be
recruited as part of the program to mentor nurse practitioner students.
The nursing college aims to increase the number of preceptors by 20
percent.

“This program will give experience to these nurse practitioner
students so they are prepared to work in community health centers when
they graduate,” Coppa said. “The project builds upon an established
commitment to support academic and practice achievements of students and
community-based preceptors in the areas of practice with medically
underserved individuals both in community health centers and in
patients’ homes.”

As part of the program, the community health centers’ home-based care
programs will be expanded. Students will join professional nurse
practitioners on home visits, providing direct primary care to patients
too ill or disabled to travel to a center, helping reduce hospital and
emergency room visits. In addition to full primary care services, the
students will also provide end-of-life services where appropriate,
helping patients create Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment.

“This project is a huge benefit not just for the students, but for
practicing health care providers and the health care system as a whole,”
Coppa said. “We’re increasing and transforming the health care
workforce to provide more primary care services for the medically
underserved population.”