The purpose of the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention-Mobile Health Training Program (NEPQR-MHTP) is to strengthen the nursing workforce through education and training to provide culturally aligned quality care in rural and underserved areas and training of diverse nursing students to address and manage Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) factors and improve health equity and health literacy of vulnerable populations in rural and underserved communities through nurse-led mobile health training sites. The NEPQR-MHTP will create and expand experiential learning opportunities for nursing students, including: the provision of high-quality culturally sensitive care, identify and understand SDOH in local communities, engagement in critical thinking, and clinical practice highlighting a collaborative team approach to care.
Many people in the United States are unable to receive the health care services they need due to the lack of access and availability of health care services where they live. These barriers lead to an increased risk of poor health outcomes as well as health disparities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 46 million or 15 percent of the United States (U.S.) population lives in rural areas. Many rural communities suffer from poor health due to a lack of health care services, coupled with low socioeconomic status. Lack of access to health services has a significant impact on overall well-being. Through community-based partnerships addressing SDOH, NEPQR-MHTP can make a difference in rural and underserved communities
Providing care to some of our most vulnerable and underserved populations in the U.S. through a Mobile Health Clinic (MHC) can help reduce health care disparities and limitations in access to care. There are approximately 1,500-2,000 mobile clinics nationwide, providing up to 6.5 million visits annually within the United States. Bridging the gap between the clinics and the community, MHCs can improve health care delivery by reaching people where they live and where they work
Preparing the future nursing workforce to provide culturally sensitive, patient-focused care should be strongly considered moving forward Studies have found that racial and ethnic concordance between providers and patients can improve patient outcomes. Diversifying the nursing workforce will be a step toward improving the healthcare disparities faced by our target population
Program Goals:
- Establish or expand Nurse-led mobile units to provide care to the target vulnerable populations in rural and underserved areas.
- Expand the nursing workforce by creating experiential learning opportunities emphasizing advanced nursing skills and care delivery in rural and underserved communities.
- Provide didactic nursing education geared toward the delivery of culturally competent care, addressing SDOH while developing skills in leadership, communication, and critical thinking in a technologically innovative and collaborative practice environment.
- Foster a community-based learning environment which mentors nursing students to identify and implement evidence-based best practices in rural and medically underserved communities.
- Increase the diversity of the nursing workforce by recruiting and supporting students and faculty from diverse populations, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities.
HHS and HRSA Priorities You are encouraged to select and address one of the clinical priorities below which include HHS's and HRSA's priorities:
- COVID-19;
- Environment as it relates to climate change and health disparities/equity;
- Equity in HHS Service Delivery (racial, LGBTQ);
- Reproductive Health/Family Planning/teen pregnancy initiatives;
- Refugee/Immigration/unaccompanied children;
- Maternal Health;
- Mental Health; and
- SUD/Opioids.
Eligible entities must be ready to continue programmatic activities in the event of a public health emergency – both those that are expected and unexpected. A training focused emergency preparedness plan is critical for HRSA-funded projects and helps ensure that grantees are able to continue programmatic activities, can coordinate effectively, and can implement recovery plans when emergencies disrupt project activities. You must develop and maintain a flexible training-focused emergency preparedness plan in case of public health emergencies to ensure continuation of programmatic and training activities, including but not limited to experiential training on the NEPQR-MHTP