November 25, 1998
Pilot project launched on Olympic Peninsula to educate nurse practitioners
Responding to a pressing need for more health care providers on the Olympic Peninsula, the University of Washington School of Nursing is launching a pilot project to offer nurses on the peninsula easier access to courses that prepare them to become adult acute care nurse practitioners.
The program is offered on the UW campus in Seattle. However, the distance makes it difficult for many potential students to participate.
“There is a need for nurses in rural and remote parts of Western Washington to have access to programs that prepare them to assume primary responsibility for the care of seriously ill patients,” said Dr. Eleanor F. Bond, associate professor of biobehavioral nursing and health systems and head of the Olympic Peninsula Access Initiative.
Acute care nurse practitioners care for patients with serious illnesses, including cancer, stroke, heart disease and AIDS. They provide care in a variety of settings: hospital, clinic and home.
Taking two courses per quarter, students can complete the program in two and a half years. However, they may take up to six years to complete their courses. Most coursework can be completed on the peninsula.
Special features of the Olympic Peninsula project include classes offered via interactive videoconferencing based at Olympic Memorial Hospital in Port Angeles, and Internet communication with the School of Nursing.
For more information on the program, call 1-800-759-NURS.
