A Regional Delivery Model for Rural Graduate Nurse Practitioner Education: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation.

Abstract

Background: There is a shortage of primary and mental health care providers in rural U.S. communities, contributing to poor health outcomes among rural populations. We developed a Regional Delivery Model as part of a Doctor of Nursing practice (DNP) program to address this shortage.

Method: Annual surveys for rural students included a Likert-type scale and open-ended questions. We tracked enrollment, dropout and graduation rates, and employment data. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all survey responses. Qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted for open-ended responses.

Results: Ninety-five percent of students remained in their rural communities after graduation to provide health care. Strengths of our program include educating distance students in their communities, improved peer connection through in-person intensives, and strong faculty support for virtual videoconferencing.

Conclusion: Our regional delivery model demonstrates that DNP students taught within their rural communities overwhelmingly remain in their rural communities postgraduation.