Grant Supports Scranton’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program in Rural Areas

Sep 24, 2009

The Nursing Department at The University of Scranton has received a three-year Advanced Education Nursing Grant of $345,000 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for its Family Nurse Practitioner Program.

According to Mary Jane Hanson, Ph.D., CRNP, CNS, professor and director of the Department of Nursing's Graduate Program, the grant money will be used "to enhance our Family Nurse Practitioner curriculum with a focus on palliative care and prepare Family Nurse Practitioner graduates to provide care for vulnerable patients in rural and medically underserved areas in our region."

In addition, to facilitate greater program accessibility for qualified applicants from surrounding rural counties, the Nursing Department plans to increase the number of rural clinical sites in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania where its students gain their practical experience. "We also plan to present programs aimed at encouraging children in our region to seek careers in health care - by partnering with schools with disadvantaged students," said Dr. Hanson.

The University of Scranton's Family Nurse Practitioner program prepares registered nurses to assess, diagnose and treat common disorders and to provide health-promotion and disease-prevention interventions and counseling to patients in primary care settings. "This grant will enable us to expand our highly successful program, which has a history of preparing skilled graduates, many of whom practice in underserved areas," said Dr. Hanson.

This is the third Advanced Education Nursing Grant awarded to The University of Scranton this decade. A three-year award for $500,000 in 2001 and a two-year award for $275,000 in 2004 helped the Nursing Department expand its Nurse Anesthesia program, which is delivered in conjunction with the Wyoming Valley Health Care System.

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