UNMC receives grant to train geriatric nurse practitioners

The College of Nursing has been awarded a three-year grant for $462,945 to increase the number of nurse practitioners with geriatric expertise in rural and medically underserved communities in Nebraska.

The grant — from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration — creates an accelerated post-masters degree geriatric nurse practitioner certificate program that can be completed in three months.

During the next three years, the college hopes to enroll 25 nurse practitioners in the 12-week program. The college seeks family, adult and acute care nurse practitioners who work and live in rural and urban underserved areas.

More information Applications will be accepted through Feb. 1. For more information, contact Dani Eveloff at develoff@unmc.edu or 402-559-5184.

“Nebraska’s rural and medically underserved older adults experience numerous health disparities including reduced access to health care providers and greater prevalence of chronic disease,” said Claudia Chaperon, Ph.D., assistant professor at the UNMC College of Nursing and project director. “We need more nurse practitioners to help people remain functional and autonomous so they have a good quality of life and age successfully.”

The first class will start in May and graduate in August. The program enables students to complete three courses and a 90-hour clinical requirement through Internet-based learning and videoconferencing systems.

The Nebraska Geriatric Education Center, a consortium that includes UNMC, the Nebraska Health Care Association and the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, is a partner in the grant.