Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Program Quarterly Update

MISSION STATEMENT: TO EXPAND ESSENTIA HEALTH'S TRANSITION TO PRACTICE PROGRAM FURTHER ENHANCING THE COMPETENCIES OF NP AND PA FELLOWS, INCREASING ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE AND IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF RURAL AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.

The four-year, $2.3 million federal grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration is an expansion of Essentia Health’s current Transition to Practice program and provides new graduate nurse practitioners (NPs) clinical and academic enhancement for a 12-month fellowship program in rural and/or underserved populations. The collaboration between North Dakota State University (NDSU) School of Nursing and Essentia Health, a large regional health system covering North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin is better preparing new NP graduates for rural care practice through enhanced didactic content, simulation, and immersive clinical experiences. Although the grant stipulates funding for NPs, physician assistants (PAs) are also participating in the fellowship. The fellows began the program in October.

Meet the Fellows: Year 1

Fellows attended a maternal health care conference in April on NDSU's campus. Sessions included an imminent birth simulation facilitated by Doreen Brass, MSN, CHSE, RNC-OB, a simulation educator at NDSU and SIM-ND, which provides on-site training to Critical Access Hospitals, EMS units, and other medical providers across North Dakota. Certified midwives Tanya Baity (Family Health Care), Tessa Hand (Essentia Health), and Sara Hansen (Sanford Health) facilitated sessions on prescribing considerations in the perinatal population, post-partum follow up care, family planning, and high-risk pregnancies.

In May, fellows attended a workshop on trauma-informed care led by Kate Banley, DNP, FNP-C and gender-affirming care led by Heidi Selzler-Echola, APRN, WHNP-BC and Faye Seidler.

Fellows have completed 390 hours of specialty rotations in elder care; nephrology; OB/GYN; endocrinology; psychiatry; MOUD; dermatology; integrative health; behavioral health; orthopedics; cardiology; SUD; rheumatology; pediatrics; and neurology.

Fellows have facilitated 6 journal clubs on vitamin D testing; menopause; otalgia; testicular pain; type 2 diabetes; and suboxone.

Mykell Barnacle, DNP, FNP-BC, and the project director, presented a session on High-Value Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Rural Healthcare Professionals at the National Rural Health Association Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA. Steven Palmer, PA, one of our didactic and procedural instructors in the fellowship program, was recently named the Essentia Health Brainerd Lakes Advanced Practice Provider of the Year.

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Who to Contact

ANE NPRF website

ANE NPRF Grant Team