Tackling the nursing shortage in rural America. Linking of education and service in a differentiated practice environment.

The need for solutions to the nursing shortage in rural areas, teamwork, and new ways of thinking about management and nursing education prompted the development of an innovative clinical activity in a rural hospital that utilizes a differentiated practice nursing model. The activity is part of a project titled University and Community College Partnership in Education (supported by a grant from the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education). The activity links baccalaureate students at a mid-western university with associate degree students at a rural community college to study the management model in a two-day immersion clinical experience.