Abstract
Duke University and East Carolina University through their Schools of Nursing and Physician Assistant Programs are in the third year of the Partnerships for Training Program (PFT). The goal of PFT is to prepare primary care providers to increase access to care in medically underserved and health professional shortage areas. This paper discusses how an asynchronous online mode was used to bring the universities and all of their resources to rural students in North Carolina. In addition, preparing students to access the online university and preparing faculty to teach using this new medium are discussed.
Highlights
Duke University and East Carolina University through their Schools of Nursing and Physician Assistant Programs are in the third year of the Partnerships for Training Program (PFT)
In 1995, Duke University and East Carolina University responded to a call from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop a program for the collaborative education of Physician Assistants, Family Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives
Our Partnerships for Training” (PFT) partners included four regional Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) (Southern Regional, Eastern, Area L, and Costal AHEC), the statewide North Carolina AHEC, five rural hospitals (Carteret General, Sampson Regional, Southeastern Regional, Martin General, and Chowan General) three professional associations, two state universities, the State Medical Society Foundation and the State Office of Rural Health. These partners provided expertise, but they kept our eye on the goal—educational opportunities for rural health care students and greater access to care for rural residents
Summary
In 1995, Duke University and East Carolina University responded to a call from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop a program for the collaborative education of Physician Assistants, Family Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives. Our PFT partners included four regional Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) (Southern Regional, Eastern, Area L, and Costal AHEC), the statewide North Carolina AHEC, five rural hospitals (Carteret General, Sampson Regional, Southeastern Regional, Martin General, and Chowan General) three professional associations (the North Carolina Nurses’ Association, the North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants, and the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Nurse Midwives), two state universities (one historically Black and one historically Native American), the State Medical Society Foundation and the State Office of Rural Health These partners provided expertise, but they kept our eye on the goal—educational opportunities for rural health care students and greater access to care for rural residents. While there are many lessons to be shared from our experience, our approach to “access” using an asynchronous learning delivery system is perhaps the most fundamental
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