A Model to Develop Nurse Leaders for Rural Practice

Rural health disparities are due in part to access barriers to health care providers. Nursing education has been extended into rural areas, yet a limited rural research and practice literature informs the content and delivery of these educational programs. The University Of Virginia School of Nursing through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration developed the Nursing Leadership in Rural Health Care (NLRHC) Program. The transformational nursing leadership in rural health care (TNLRHC) model guided the development of NLRHC program content and teaching methods. This article describes the TNLRHC model and how it has steered the integration of rural content into advanced practice nursing (APN) education. The capacity of the TNLRHC model for promoting innovation in APN education is described. Recommendations regarding the future development of APN education are presented.