Gardner-Webb University

COVERAGE OF INST. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE DELIVERY OF INSTRUCTION DUE TO CORONAVIRUS. ADDITIONALLY FUNDING MAY BE USED TO FUND ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY GRANTS TO STUDENTS.

PROVIDE EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS TO STUDENTS FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO THE DISRUPTION OF CAMPUS OPERATIONS DUE TO THE CORONOVIRUS.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM - TITLE: ADVANCING COLLABORATIVE CARE, INTEGRATION, AND INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN RURAL NORTH CAROLINA (ACE) PROJECT ADDRESS: HUNT SCHOOL OF NURSING, GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, 315 WEST COLLEGE AVE, BOILING SPRINGS, NORTH CAROLINA 28017 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: NICOLE WATERS, DNP, RN, CNE CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS: (VOICE) (704) 406-2302 | (FAX) (704) 406-3919 EMAIL ADDRESS: NWATERS@GARDNER-WEBB.EDU WEBSITE ADDRESS: HTTPS://GARDNER-WEBB.EDU/ACADEMICS/COLLEGES-SCHOOLS/HEALTH-SCIENCES/NURSING/ GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED: $2,162,534.12 FUNDING PREFERENCE: GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY REQUESTS FUNDING PREFERENCE FOR QUALIFICATION 1, HIGH RATE FOR PLACING GRADUATES IN PRACTICE SETTINGS THAT HAVE A PRINCIPAL FOCUS OF SERVING RESIDENTS OF MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO PREPARE DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE (DNP), PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER (PMHNP) AND CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR (CMHC) STUDENTS TO PRACTICE IN INTEGRATED CARE SITES WITH RURAL AND/OR MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED (MU) POPULATIONS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL (1) BUILD INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT RECRUITMENT, TEACHING, AND LEARNING FOR A DIVERSE CLINICAL WORKFORCE; (2) ENHANCE CURRICULA AND CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO BETTER PREPARE PMHNP AND CMHC STUDENTS TO WORK IN INTEGRATED CARE ENVIRONMENTS; AND (3) EXPAND CLINICAL CAPACITY FOR PMHNP AND CMHC TRAINEES IN INTEGRATED CARE SETTINGS. A HIGHLY TRAINED DNP-PMHNP AND CMHC WORKFORCE WILL IMPROVE ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR NORTH CAROLINIANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED AREAS AS WELL AS CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE AT RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH, TRAUMA, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDERS. CLEVELAND COUNTY, THE RURAL APPALACHIAN COUNTY IN WHICH GWU IS LOCATED FARES FAR WORSE IN HEALTH OUTCOMES AND HEALTH FACTORS THAN MOST COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA AND THE AVERAGE COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES. ONE-QUARTER OF ALL CHILDREN RESIDING IN CLEVELAND COUNTY LIVE IN POVERTY—OVER 50% OF BLACK CHILDREN LIVE IN POVERTY. COUNTY RATES FOR POOR OR FAIR HEALTH, LOW BIRTHWEIGHT, ADULT OBESITY, SMOKING, PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, AND TEEN BIRTHS EXCEED THE STATE AND NATIONAL AVERAGES. CLEVELAND COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE UNINSURED, HAVE PREVENTABLE HOSPITAL STAYS, OR EXPERIENCE POVERTY THAN PEERS IN OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE OR COUNTRY. IN 2023, NORTH CAROLINA’S DRUG OVERDOSE DEATH RATE WAS 22.3 PER 100,000 PEOPLE, RANKING 31ST AMONG THE U.S. STATES. IN ADDITION, HURRICANE HELENE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED APPROXIMATELY 39 COUNTIES IN THE STATE, WHICH HAVE BEEN FEMA DESIGNATED FOR FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE. THE ACE PROJECT WILL PROPEL THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES’ CAPACITY TO MEET URGENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE NEEDS IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE ORGANIZATION OF ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT PERIOD REFLECTS A THOUGHTFUL APPROACH OF CAPACITY BUILDING, PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, EVALUATION, AND SUSTAINABILITY. THE ENHANCED INTEGRATED PRACTICUM EXPERIENCES WILL PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN SITES THAT MIGHT NOT BE STUDENTS’ FIRST CHOICE (DUE TO DISTANCE AND/OR ADDITIONAL COST) WITHOUT THE SIGNIFICANT BHWET STIPEND. PMHNP AND CMHC STUDENTS WILL BE CO-LOCATED; LEARNING TOGETHER WITH PRECEPTORS AND SUPERVISORS WHO HAVE ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO PROVIDE A HIGH-QUALITY EXPERIENCE. FACULTY WILL PARTICIPATE IN EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SO THAT THEY WILL, IN TURN, BETTER PREPARE STUDENTS, OTHER FACULTY, CLINICAL PARTNERS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO MEET UNMET NEEDS OF MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE OR ARE AT-RISK OF DEVELOPING CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND SUDS. THIS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TARGETS THE SERIOUS UNMET NEEDS OF CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND TRANSITIONAL AGE YOUTH, AND WILL IMPROVE THE COLLECTIVE APPROACH TO MEETING THEIR NEEDS IN THE REGION.

NURSE EDUCATION, PRACTICE, QUALITY AND RETENTION - TRANSITION TO PRACTICE PROGRAM - GARDNER WEBB UNIVERSITY’S HUNT SCHOOL OF NURSING (HSON) PROPOSES THE NURSING UPSKILLING, RETENTION, SIMULATION, AND EDUCATION—STRENGTHENING TRAINING PATHWAYS TO ADVANCEMENT TO IMPROVE HEALTH FOR RURAL NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITIES (NURSE-STAR OR STAR) PROJECT TO EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN THE NURSING WORKFORCE SERVING RURAL AND MEDICALLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. RURAL COUNTIES IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA EXPERIENCE PERSISTENT SHORTAGES OF PRACTICE READY NURSES, LIMITED ACCESS TO PRIMARY AND PREVENTIVE CARE, HIGH BURDENS OF CHRONIC DISEASE, AND AVOIDABLE EMERGENCY UTILIZATION. STAR ADDRESSES THESE NEEDS BY IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING MODEL ALIGNED WITH NEPQR-TPP PRIORITIES. STAR WILL ESTABLISH A GROW YOUR OWN NURSING PATHWAY THAT RECRUITS LICENSED AND UNLICENSED ASSISTIVE HEALTH PERSONNEL FROM RURAL AND MEDICALLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND AWARDS PRIOR LEARNING CREDIT TO ACCELERATE PROGRESSION INTO THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING (BSN) PROGRAM. THE PROJECT WILL INTEGRATE COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION ACROSS FOUR BSN COURSES AND EXPAND SIMULATION-BASED EDUCATION THROUGH NEW HIGH-FIDELITY MANIKINS AND WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY, AN IMPROVED STANDARDIZED PATIENT PROGRAM, AND FOUR NEW RURAL-FOCUSED SIMULATION EXPERIENCES. STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE 100 ADDITIONAL EXPERIENTIAL HOURS—75 CLINICAL AND 25 SIMULATION—IN RURAL AND COMMUNITY BASED SETTINGS TO STRENGTHEN READINESS FOR PRACTICE IN NONTRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS. A YEAR LONG COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR NOVICE NURSES WILL SUPPORT TRANSITION TO PRACTICE THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURED MENTORING, WHILE FACULTY AND PRECEPTOR DEVELOPMENT WILL SUSTAIN CAPACITY IN SIMULATION, COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION, AND RURAL NURSING WORKFORCE PREPARATION. THE STAR PROJECT INTRODUCES AN INNOVATIVE MOBILE HEALTH CLINIC MODEL IN WHICH BSN AND DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE STUDENTS COLLABORATIVELY DESIGN, STAFF, DELIVER, AND EVALUATE A FREE, SHORT-TERM MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND VISION CLINIC IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING PRACTICE-READY TRAINING WHILE EXPANDING ACCESS TO CARE. THE PROJECT WILL SERVE BSN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN HSON, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LEARNERS FROM RURAL AREAS AND MEDICALLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING THOSE WITH PRIOR HEALTH EXPERIENCE. EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE AN EXPANDED NURSING PATHWAY FOR ASSISTIVE HEALTH PERSONNEL SEEKING TO UPSKILL, ENHANCED READINESS FOR AND PERSISTENCE IN RURAL, COMMUNITY-BASED PRACTICE IN NONTRADITIONAL SETTINGS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF THE NURSING WORKFORCE IN MEDICALLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. STAR’S EVALUATION PLAN WILL MEASURE PERFORMANCE USING COMPETENCY RUBRICS, OBJECTIVE STRUCTURED CLINICAL EXAMINATION STYLE ASSESSMENTS, SIMULATION CHECKLISTS, CLINICAL EVALUATIONS, AND QUARTERLY CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT REVIEWS. THROUGH THESE INTEGRATED STRATEGIES, STAR WILL INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF PRACTICE READY NURSES, IMPROVE ACCESS TO COMMUNITY BASED CARE, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY IN RURAL NORTH CAROLINA, DIRECTLY FULFILLING THE GOALS OF THE HRSA NEPQR-TPP PROGRAM.

DEFRAY EXPENSES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF COVID-19. THESE EXPENSES MAY INCLUDE LOST REVENUE, TECHNOLOGY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH A TRANSITION TO DISTANCE EDUCATION, FACULTY AND STAFF TRAINING, AND PAYROLL.