listen to this articleA $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to Clemson University School of Nursing will fund a variety of clinical education opportunities in Oconee County to strengthen the future workforce in underserved communities. The money will be used to pay tuition fees for 12 students.
This grant project is called “SET-UP,'' which builds nurses for rural and underserved populations. The university is prioritizing the social determinants of health, aging, maternal and child health, homelessness, and behavioral and mental health in rural areas, according to a university news release.
Participating nursing students will begin working at Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital this fall for clinical classes. In addition to real-world experience, students have the opportunity to learn through realistic patient simulations. Simulations include assessing and educating patients through virtual reality, performing catheterization and tracheostomy care, and managing high-risk births for simulated patients using a wearable simulator worn by the actor playing the patient. Masu. Students will also participate in an interactive simulation about poverty and homelessness that aims to increase empathy and influence the quality of care for underserved populations.
“The goal of this project is to strengthen nurse education and strengthen the nursing workforce by increasing training opportunities for undergraduate nursing students. These opportunities will increase students' readiness for post-graduation practice and It will prepare us to address the community health needs of at-risk counties,” said project leader John Whitcomb, chief academic nursing officer and dean of the Clemson School of Nursing.
“By working with Prisma Health and our faculty to enhance the educational experience for our students, we hope to strengthen our future workforce and contribute to improving health outcomes and health equity across the state.” he said in a release.
Starting in the fall, select junior and senior nursing classes will be taught about project topics specific to underserved communities, including cultural literacy topics about the social determinants of health in rural and Appalachian areas. Additional information will be included. healthy aging. Maternal and child health with a focus on teenage mothers. experiences of homelessness, mental and behavioral health, and poverty;
According to a news release, Oconee County residents are experiencing declining health conditions including chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD), heart disease, maternal and child mortality rates, and teen birth rates. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Oconee County's estimated population is 80,180, with 24.8% of residents over the age of 65 and 16.7% of the population living in poverty. According to 2019 community health data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 14.5% of adults delay medical care because of cost, and there are only 7.4 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents.
Whitcomb leads a team of faculty in the School of Nursing, including Kimberly Hill, associate director of simulation; Lucia Gonzalez, Associate Director of Research. Jason Thrift, assistant professor; Jennifer Bagwell, Senior Lecturer; Leslie LaVan, Director of Undergraduate Research; Erin Shepherd, instructor. Casey Hopkins, assistant professor; Kimberly Trammell, Senior Lecturer; Asa Briggs, psychiatric nurse; Mylène Boudreau, Lecturer. and Veronica Deas, Prisma Health's executive director of academic development.
Updates to these courses are recommended by project faculty scholars who are nursing faculty. These scholars are thrifts whose expertise is in social determinants of health, rural Appalachia, and geriatric medicine. Mr. Gonzalez specializes in aging. Ms. Hopkins specializes in women's health. Mr. Briggs specializes in mental health issues among diverse and minority populations.
“This HRSA grant allows us to create sustainable change for our students and impact long-term curriculum updates,” Gonzalez said in the release. “These course enhancements will ultimately benefit all Clemson nursing students and the communities they serve.”
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a grant totaling $1.5 million and has a non-governmental funding rate of zero.
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