INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno, has received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to prepare nursing students to serve rural and frontier communities across Nevada.
The four-year award, which runs through August 2030, will establish the Nevada Rural Nurse Scholars Program and expand rural nursing education through the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the University of Nevada, Reno Lake Tahoe campus.
Beginning in January 2027, the inaugural cohort of 16 students will enter the BSN Lake Tahoe campus track as Nevada Rural Nurse Scholars and participate in enhanced rural and community-based learning experiences designed to prepare nurses for practice in Nevada’s underserved communities. Approximately 96 students are expected to graduate during the four-year grant period, helping strengthen the state’s rural health care workforce.
Charles Yingling, DNP, dean of the Orvis School of Nursing, is the principal investigator on the award.
“Nevada’s rural communities don’t need more reports about the nursing shortage. They need nurses. This program was built around what those communities actually need from a nurse. Rural practice is demanding, rewarding and different from anything a traditional hospital clinical placement can prepare you for. We’re going to change that, starting at Lake Tahoe.”
The Nevada Rural Nurse Scholars Program will build on the BSN at the Lake Tahoe campus curriculum by giving students additional opportunities to connect classroom learning with rural health care. The HRSA grant will also provide BSN Tahoe students with a $1,000 housing and meal stipend per semester to help offset the cost of living at the Lake Tahoe campus.
Each student in the BSN Lake Tahoe campus track will complete 100 or more additional experiential learning hours focused on rural health care settings. Students will have opportunities to learn alongside rural health care providers, engage with the communities they serve and develop a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that come with practicing in rural settings.
An $80,000 subaward to Carson Valley Health will support students pursuing rural nursing careers and strengthen the preparation of clinical preceptors who mentor nursing students.
The grant will support standardized patients, faculty development and expanded simulation experiences, including virtual reality technology, giving students additional opportunities to develop clinical skills in a controlled learning environment. Students will also have the opportunity to attend rural nursing conferences.
In addition to expanding students’ clinical experiences, the HRSA grant will provide resources to support student well-being and strengthen the educators and clinical partners who help prepare them. A dedicated wellness coordinator will provide resources and strategies to help prevent burnout.
The grant will also support development of a Rural and Community-Based Nursing Preceptor Microcredential. The microcredential will help prepare clinical preceptors to support nursing students during rural and community-based learning experiences.
Through expanded clinical experiences, community-based learning and support from rural healthcare partners, the HRSA grant will help build a pipeline of nurses prepared to serve Nevada’s rural and frontier communities.