Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention - Transition to Practice Program - Nevada faces persistent nursing workforce shortages in rural and frontier communities where geographic isolation, provider shortages, and limited access to care compound existing challenges. With 15 of 17 counties classified as rural or frontier, the state ranks among the lowest in the nation in registered nurses per capita. Critical Access Hospitals, rural health clinics, community health centers, school health programs, and public health programs report chronic difficulties recruiting and retaining nurses. Nevada faces significant challenges related to chronic disease, behavioral health, maternal and child health, and infectious disease requiring nurses prepared to deliver prevention-focused, community-based care. The Nevada Rural Nurse Scholars Program is a four-year initiative to strengthen Nevada's nursing workforce and expand access to care in rural, frontier, and medically vulnerable communities. The University of Nevada, Reno Orvis School of Nursing will implement the program through the Rural and Community-Focused Bachelor of Science in Nursing pathway at the UNR Lake Tahoe campus, located in a HRSA-designated rural region. The program will admit eight cohorts of 16 Nevada Rural Nurse Scholars (128 total admissions) and support approximately 80 graduates within the period of performance, pursuing four NEPQR-TPP objectives: (1) expand and enhance the nursing workforce through health professions pathways and competency-based curriculum; (2) expand community and clinical training partnerships in nontraditional community-based settings; (3) provide faculty and preceptor training and support; and (4) expand experiential learning through simulation-based technology. Five integrated components will achieve these objectives. The Rural and Community-Focused BSN pathway will integrate competency-based education addressing eight curricular domains aligned with Make America Healthy Again priorities: disease prevention and wellness promotion, chronic disease and obesity management, nutrition and lifestyle-related health behaviors, behavioral health and substance use, care coordination across rural and medically vulnerable populations, telehealth-enabled practice, emergency preparedness, and interprofessional team-based care. OSN will partner with Renown Health to support student wellness and workforce readiness and will develop a Rural and Community-Based Nursing Preceptor Microcredential through Nevada Online. Rural immersion experiences at Carson Valley Health and Banner Churchill Community Hospital, both Critical Access Hospitals, will provide direct exposure to rural healthcare delivery. Simulation investments including high-fidelity equipment, the Intulect virtual reality platform, and standardized patient programming will provide each Scholar with up to 50 simulation-enhanced experiential learning hours. A dedicated Wellness Coordinator will lead a Wellness and Transition-to-Practice Initiative supporting Scholar persistence and professional readiness. Each Scholar will complete at least 100 additional experiential learning hours beyond standard BSN requirements, including a minimum of 50 direct rural and community-based hours. The program will recruit students with prior healthcare experience including licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, emergency medical technicians, home health aides, and medical assistants, targeting at least 30% of Scholars with prior healthcare experience. The program will serve undergraduate nursing students at the UNR Lake Tahoe campus, with emphasis on students from rural, frontier, and medically underserved Nevada communities. Graduates will be prepared to practice in rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, community health centers, school health programs, home health agencies, and public health programs serving Nevada's rural and medically vulnerable populations.
