Supporting Health Equity Through APRN Workforce Development: Strategies for Nursing Graduate Programs to Increase Access to Care in Underserved Areas.

Abstract

Graduate nursing programs have an opportunity to support health equity, especially for people who live in rural communities and other health care provider shortage areas. The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) bridges access to care gaps across a variety of care settings and populations, but the employment of APRNs is generally skewed toward urban areas. Institutions of higher education are uniquely positioned to address this imbalance. This article outlines the strategies, success, implications for current practice, and recommendations of a federally funded project launched in 2023 aimed at improving the distribution of APRNs in Oklahoma. Utilizing the social determinants of health model, the project employed 3 strategies: recruit from diverse backgrounds, support students with financial assistance and extracurricular courses, and help students engage through mentorship, preceptorship, and dissemination activities. A diverse group of students (n = 55) were selected for the scholarship based on a weighted application and disadvantaged background score. All students completed the extracurricular training in preparation for clinical rotation, and 10% attended and/presented their work at professional conferences, and approximately 75% of graduates reported working in rural or underserved communities. Graduate nursing programs can influence health equity and healthcare access in their regions by enhancing clinical rotation experiences through mentorship, preceptorships, and extracurricular education. Graduate nursing program directors can implement these strategies independent of extramural funding. Integrating these approaches across all programs will better prepare APRNs to serve diverse populations and improve placement in underserved areas.