The Rural Nurse Internship
Contact the Rural Nurse Internship program office
WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing
2917 West Fort George Wright Drive
Spokane, WA 99224-5291
Telephone: (509)324-7368
E-Mail: ruralnurse@wsu.edu
FAX: (509)324-7341
The first distance based rural nursing internship in
the country was partially funded by a grant from the
Health Resources and
Services Administration. The program is available
to any hospital or new rural nurse in the country. The
collaborative program serves nurses with less than one
year employment in a U.S. rural hospital. The hospital
tailors the program to meet the needs of the job
description. Washington State University
Intercollegiate College of Nursing administers the
program and provides up to 203 hours of continuing
education credit. Nurses are enrolled in the program at
any time of the year. More information can be found in
the brochure.
Rural Nursing attracts people who love quality family life in small communities. The residency program aids the transition to competent and confident generalist.
New graduates, nurses returning to the workforce and those who have moved from urban to rural hospitals enjoy many supports as they adapt to the new specialty. The year-long program utilizes preceptors, mentors, peers, experts, personal digital assistants, monthly seminars and a yearly conference to improve on crisis assessment and management skills.
The underlying philosophy of the Rural Nurse Internship includes the following points: 1) Rural nurses learn best from expert rural nurses. 2) Nurses learn best within their own hospitals.
The professional development program is individualized by a competency assessment tool. Nurses self assess their confidence to perform skills then work with preceptors to develop a learning plan. Seminars, case studies, personal digital assistants, and volunteer experts provide informational supports.
The clinical coordinator helps the intern design a career path at the rural hospital by developing short and long term goals.
Mentors aid the intern to thrive in rural communities and work with the political structure of the hospital.
Preceptors manage the 104 hour clinical learning experience.
Interns collaborate with others at distant locations while learning new skills within their own settings. A conference is held once a year for interns and experienced rural nurses. Hands on skills in six nursing sub specialties are taught using computerized mannequins.
Enrollment Application
Application (pdf)