New UK program has rural hospitals excited for potential increase in nurses

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The University of Kentucky’s Agriculture and Nursing Departments are teaming-up to train more nurses to work in rural areas.

“We’re looking to identify people who are interested, who are either getting a or have gotten a degree in dietetics and human nutrition and seamlessly working them into our accelerated BSN program. So our end goal is for them to have a dual degree in a shortened period of time” said Jennifer Cowley, Senior Lecturer at UK.

The new partnership hopes to not only give students a leg-up in the work field, but to provide more qualified nurses in rural areas where they say there’s not just a shortage, but among the people who live in under-served areas…a lack of nutritional knowledge.

“Between the nursing aspect as well as the nutrition/dietetic aspect, it will make them an expert in so many of those key areas when it comes to identifying modifiable risk factors with all of these high rates of heart disease and diabetes and obesity” added Cowley.

St. Claire Hospital in Morehead has a theory why there’s a nursing shortage in rural areas.

“It’s the excitement and the draw of the new nurses to urban populations and we don’t have specifically a specialty practice, say an ICU, a PICU, a CCU, we don’t have those in rural clinics” said Bookie Ginter, Director of Primary Care.

Ginter says proper nutrition is a big issue in rural areas….and having these dual degree nurses come in would change the health dynamic of the community.

“It’s wonderful and they’re focusing on their skill set with their education and promoting those specific details on how to coach patients and how to talk with them and speak their language and how to develop a healthy eating plan, that will work.”

The program will begin in the fall, and UK is looking for around 6 students who will also receive scholarship to complete the dual degree.