Academics
Applications are being accepted now; for a maximum of six slots per cohort. The 12-month residency will begin on Sept. 9 in partnership with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.
The program will provide participants with shoulder-to-shoulder training alongside nurse practitioners and physician preceptors at the Rita J. Bicknell Family Health Center in Pittsburg.
"This program is unique because it provides a guided transition into a nurse practitioner role,” said Amy Hite, director of the Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing. “These are nurse practitioners who have the knowledge, passed board certification, and who now are looking to build skills. Physicians go through medical school and residency and fellowships, and we know a lot of learning happens in that first year of practice.”
Participants will be certified in how to conduct Department of Transportation physicals and will be trained in substance abuse disorder, two things often needed in rural areas. They also will attend hands-on workshops and guest lectures in health emergencies they might not see routinely in rural areas.
“Many nurse practitioners, especially in rural areas, get put into clinics with very little assistance or orientation,” Hite said. “They may at some point be faced with situations in which they are unsure.”
Pitt State was awarded this grant in 2019 and 2023. Eighteen nurse practitioners have completed the program; 14 still are employed at CHC and four are employed in rural, underserved areas.
At the completion of their residency, this year’s participants also will have the opportunity to apply for open positions at CHC. If there are no open positions, Hite noted, “these credentials are a great addition to their resumé.”
“We’re helping ensure the nursing workforce is trained, we are keeping them in this area, and we’re making sure they are highly qualified and skilled by the time they complete this program,” Hite said.
Apply now: APRN Resident Application
