The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing in Omaha
has received a three-year, $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services to establish the family nurse practitioner program to
Norfolk and Beatrice. The program will make it possible for students to
earn a Masters of Science Degree in Nursing by taking most of their classes
through a computer, without commuting to a UNMC campus.
Kathryn Fiandt, D.N.S., associate professor, UNMC College of Nursing,
and coordinator of the family nurse practitioner program, said the grant
will make it more convenient for nurses in and around Norfolk and Beatrice
to become family nurse practitioners completing most of the typical classroom
work through a computer. This allows students the flexibility to study
when its convenient for them and eliminates regular commuting to campus
in Omaha. It takes about two-and-a-half years to complete the program fulltime,
she said.
Starting salary for nurse practitioners in Nebraska is $50,000 to $55,000,
said Dr. Fiandt, a family nurse practitioner for 23 years. Our graduates
get jobs. There are probably more jobs than graduates.
There are currently UNMC nurse practitioner programs in Scottsbluff,
Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha. The new program requires a faculty member for
each site to work with the students in classroom and clinical areas, space
for a multi-media room, laboratory rooms, exam tables and equipment.
Computer specialists will provide technical direction and support to
students. Faculty will work with local physicians and nurse practitioners
who will serve as preceptors — or mentors to the students. In addition,
an Internet site will be developed for connecting practicing rural family
nurse practitioners and students to provide professional support and mentoring
for isolated students, Dr. Fiandt said.
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have completed academic
and clinical work through a masters degree in nursing, which includes
600 hours of clinical experience working with a physician or nurse practitioner.
Family nurse practitioner services include health care maintenance such
as physicals, annual womens exams, well child care and pre-natal care.
They also prescribe medication and manage conditions such as infections
and asthma, as well as chronic health problems like high blood pressure
and diabetes.
Nurse practitioners have collaborative agreements with physicians who
they consult with and refer patients with more serious conditions.
In the past, students drove to campus for their coursework. Now they
wont have to come in as often, Dr. Fiandt said. She said students will
periodically drive to campus to discuss case studies and meet with their
faculty adviser.
The program also will give students the opportunity to use multi-media
products such as the Internet and CD-ROM, which contain physical images
and sound, Dr. Fiandt said. She said the technology focus not only enables
them to take coursework from their hometown, but also exposes them to future
ways of delivering health carevia telehealth also referred to as telemedicine.
We want to make sure students are getting classroom and clinical experiences
so they have these skills. Nurse practitioners can be the first point of
contact for the patient and need these skills so they are comfortable with
technology.
Telehealth uses computer, video and audio technology for transmission
of patient information from remote areas to a health professionals office
or medical center for assessment. The grant will fund two telehealth consultants.
In 1992, UNMC started the first nurse practitioner program in Nebraska.
Since then, 108 family nurse practitioners have graduated from UNMC. The
increase of nurse practitioners is important in addressing the shortage
of primary care health professionals in 70 of 93 counties in Nebraska.
A lot of the needs of patients in rural communities are well within
the capabilities of a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant. The
more serious cases can be referred to a physician. This uses the health
care team most efficiently, Dr. Fiandt said.
For more information about the program, call (402) 559-6566 or 559-4120.
The UNMC College of Nursing is the largest nursing school in the state
with a total of more than 700 students at its Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and
Scottsbluff campuses. It is the only nursing school in the state to offer
undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has
established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research
and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than $34 million in
research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually.
In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more
health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.