The University of Arkansas Eleanor Mann School of Nursing has received a federal grant of $1 million to increase the number of advanced practice registered nurses. The program is aimed at helping meet the health and wellness needs of Arkansas’ medically underserved populations.
The grant of $1,081,735 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be paid over three years. Anna Jarrett, assistant professor of nursing, is the principal investigator and will oversee the grant project.
“The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing is playing a critically important role in helping to make sure all Arkansans receive high-quality health care,” said Tom Smith, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions.
Pegge Bell, professor of nursing, said the grant enables the nursing school to prepare preceptors who will support the clinical education of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students.
“By supporting the preceptors in a number of ways including using technology, our students will have a more meaningful clinical experience,” said Bell, who recently retired as director of the nursing school. “We will be creating a network of preceptors while improving the clinical experiences of our students.”
Preceptors supervise clinical hours of graduate students and ensure that students complete work satisfactorily at the clinical site. The nursing school approves the selection of preceptors to participate in the academic programs.
Jarrett said mutually beneficial clinical partnerships formed as part of the project will implement an innovative, collaborative plan to enhance the educational experience of both clinical preceptors and D.N.P. students.