The College of Nursing (CON) has received a $20,000 award for Community Based Education from the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (S.C. AHEC) for the fiscal year (FY) 1999. The award supports community-based, interdisciplinary and primary care learning experiences for health professions students at distance training sites.

In FY 1999, 37 of 66 (56 percent) advanced practice nursing students were placed in 31 rural primary care sites. There were an additional 21 distance training sites used by nurse practitioner and nurse midwifery students. The Low Country AHEC staff in Varnville facilitated student placement in distance training sites.

Placement in rural sites introduces future primary care providers to the rural setting before they make decisions regarding their future practice sites. Data on CON graduates supports that the likelihood of selection of rural, underserved sites for practice is increased by rural primary care learning experiences. Of 85 nurse practitioner and nurse midwifery graduates between 1994 to 1997, 41 (48 percent) are currently practicing in rural areas while 24 (28 percent) practice in the inner city.

The CON project, Advanced Practice Nursing: Community-Based Primary Care in Rural South Carolina, is directed by Elizabeth Erkel, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing.