The goal of our distance education project is to provide access to high quality and rigorous distance education programs to students living in rural Pennsylvania as well as to improve health care access and delivery of cost-effective, appropriate, and culturally competent care to underserved, vulnerable rural populations that live in north and central Pennsylvania. The programs provided through the project include nurse practitioner (NP) programs as well as a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) program. The NP programs include Family NP, Adult NP, and Neonatal NP programs. Our project utilizes the resources of an academic health science center in urban Southeast Pennsylvania which are provided through technology to the rural area of Pennsylvania. Through the methodologies of live web-casting and/or video-casting, distance students are afforded the opportunity to participate in a live classroom setting rather than experience the static distance methodology of reading through lectures themselves. These newer technologies make possible real-time faculty student dialogue and interaction, student-to-student dialogue, and enhance socialization into the advanced practice role. Furthermore, our use of advanced technologies allows distance students to discuss with peers and faculty alike, in real time, the problems, successes, and questions which arise during required clinical practice, thereby enhancing diagnostic reasoning skills. Recent comments from students experiencing the technologies included, “wonderful”... “felt like I was actually sitting in the classroom.”

Our project speaks to Healthy People 2010 objectives by: 1) increasing the number and diversity of admissions to existing MSN programs including adult, family, and neonatal NP programs; 2) building a critical mass of experts in both urban and rural communities by implementing a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program that focuses on educating clinical leaders who specialize in evidence-based practice and organizational change; 3) increasing the number of rural sites and preceptors for practice with underserved populations; and 4) increasing educational experiences aimed toward improving underserved populations' access to care from a diverse and culturally competent nurse workforce. Moreover, the project addresses the Health People 2010 objective calling for the “reduction in the proportion of families that experience difficulties in obtaining healthcare or do not receive needed care for one or more family members.”

Increasing the numbers of rigorously prepared NPs is a critical endeavor both regionally and nationally as we work to increase access to health care for underserved populations. Essential to the rigorous education of well prepared NPs is appropriate socialization and well developed diagnostic reasoning. Our program of distance learning using advanced technologies facilitates both socialization and contributes to the development of diagnostic reasoning thereby contributing to rigorous preparation. The implementation of this project in Pennsylvania can be similarly implemented anywhere. Quality programs already available can be provided to rural areas in need through technological advancements.