National Rural Health Day, November 20, 2025
Rural communities are vital to Washington’s health and identity—but they face unique challenges. Fewer providers, longer travel times, and limited access to specialized services make consistent, high-quality care harder to reach.
This year’s National Rural Health Day celebrates “The Power of Rural,” honoring the professionals who bring care to every corner of the country. At the Washington State University College of Nursing, faculty and students are leading that work across research, education, and practice.
Pain Relief Should Not Have a Zip Code
In a national publication, “Pain Relief Should Not Have a Zip Code: Nurses’ Call to Action to Address Rural Pain Care Disparities,” WSU College of Nursing faculty member Dr. Marian Wilson joined colleagues in highlighting the inequities rural residents face in managing chronic pain.
“Rural communities deserve the same access to quality pain care as anyone else,” Wilson said. “Nurses are uniquely positioned to lead that change — through patient education, community-based programs, and evidence-informed care.”
Her research calls for policy and education initiatives to improve pain management in underserved areas, demonstrating the critical role nurses play in advancing health equity.
“Rural communities deserve the same access to quality pain care as anyone else,” Wilson said. “Nurses are uniquely positioned to lead that change — through patient education, community-based programs, and evidence-informed care.”
Her research calls for policy and education initiatives to improve pain management in underserved areas, demonstrating the critical role nurses play in advancing health equity.
Training Nurses Where They Live
A new Maternal Health Innovations Program grant from the Washington State Department of Health provides up to $100,000 annually for 3.5 years to strengthen maternal and obstetric nursing education in Pend Oreille, Stevens, and Klickitat counties.
WSU’s Rural Nursing Education in Washington program, funded by the Washington State Department of Health, is expanding educational access for students who want to practice in rural and frontier communities. Faculty leads Ryan Hunt and Beverley Mayfield report strong progress as the program moves toward its first full cohort.
Recent milestones:
· Six critical access hospitals have expressed interest in joining the Pathway.
· Sites span Klickitat, Kittitas, Lewis, Grant, and Columbia counties.
· The first Rural Nursing Pathway student begins nursing school in January 2026.
· Their clinical home will be Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg, where an adjunct clinical instructor is already identified.
· Several additional students are preparing for Fall 2026 admission.
Feedback from rural partners has been encouraging. Facilities value training students in their home communities and see the Pathway as a long-term benefit for local care access. They appreciate the structure that helps students learn the realities of rural practice and see the program as an investment in their community’s future workforce.
Mayfield notes enthusiastic responses during site visits, with partners sharing that the program arrives at the right time and addresses a pressing need.
WSU’s Rural Nursing Education in Washington program, funded by the Washington State Department of Health, is expanding educational access for students who want to practice in rural and frontier communities. Faculty leads Ryan Hunt and Beverley Mayfield report strong progress as the program moves toward its first full cohort.
Recent milestones:
· Six critical access hospitals have expressed interest in joining the Pathway.
· Sites span Klickitat, Kittitas, Lewis, Grant, and Columbia counties.
· The first Rural Nursing Pathway student begins nursing school in January 2026.
· Their clinical home will be Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg, where an adjunct clinical instructor is already identified.
· Several additional students are preparing for Fall 2026 admission.
Feedback from rural partners has been encouraging. Facilities value training students in their home communities and see the Pathway as a long-term benefit for local care access. They appreciate the structure that helps students learn the realities of rural practice and see the program as an investment in their community’s future workforce.
Mayfield notes enthusiastic responses during site visits, with partners sharing that the program arrives at the right time and addresses a pressing need.
Supporting Rural Maternal Health
A new Maternal Health Innovations Program grant from the Washington State Department of Health provides up to $100,000 annually for 3.5 years to strengthen maternal and obstetric nursing education in Pend Oreille, Stevens, and Klickitat counties.
Through this initiative, the College partners with local hospitals to train nursing students close to home while bringing rural clinical staff on as adjunct instructors. This model builds local expertise, supports continuity of care, and addresses the growing shortage of maternity providers in rural areas.
Through this initiative, the College partners with local hospitals to train nursing students close to home while bringing rural clinical staff on as adjunct instructors. This model builds local expertise, supports continuity of care, and addresses the growing shortage of maternity providers in rural areas.
