“The goal of this class is to get us thinking beyond bedside nursing,” says Allyson Steffensmeier, a student in a new accelerated graduate-level program (MSN-EIP) in the UI’s College of Nursing. “We are learning to ask questions about what is causing patients to become sick. We have trends and data about the rise in diabetes, for instance. What’s causing it? How can we prevent it?”
Steffensmeier is enrolled in Professor Theresa Bechtel’s community health class, a three-semester course that focuses on the social, behavioral, environmental, economic, and medical factors that contribute to a population's health and well-being. As part of IISC’s collaboration with the South Central Iowa Workforce Development Board and Pathfinders RC&D, Bechtel’s class aims to provide analyses of the gaps in healthcare career training and awareness among high school and college-aged students in the region.
Responding to rural Iowa's healthcare needs
“We know rural Iowa has unique healthcare needs, including limited access to providers and resources,” says Bechtel. “The MSN-EIP students are assessing healthcare resources and needs across seven counties to identify ways to improve access to care and inspire local youth to pursue healthcare careers. Expanding opportunities in rural healthcare is vital to meeting these communities’ needs.”
Working in teams, the MSN-EIP students have completed assessments focused on the demographics, healthcare resources, and workforce resources currently available to high school students. They are creating a website aimed at youth, highlighting various nursing pathways and opportunities to get involved in healthcare during high school. They also provide links to accredited nursing degree programs in the state.
Teri Bockting, who directs the South Central Workforce Development Board, hopes the MSN-EIP students can identify what information and training is already available and what still needs to be developed. “I am focused on understanding the access students have to clearly defined career paths in the medical field,” she says, noting that “the overarching goal is to build a robust pipeline of talent to support the critical health resource needs in our rural communities.”
Hands-on experience integral to learning, career choice
Many of the MSN-EIP students chose the nursing program, which is designed for people who have an undergraduate degree outside of nursing, because of direct experience in healthcare settings. Steffensmeier, for example, had intended to go to medical school after completing a degree in biomedical science. An internship at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics changed her mind: “I was able to see firsthand that the doctors weren’t around as much. It was really the nurses who made sure patients had what they needed.”
This is exactly the kind of firsthand experience that the MSN-EIP students hope to make accessible for teens and young adults in rural Iowa. As the state faces an aging population with more complex health needs, introducing young people to healthcare careers and providing them with clear pathways into the profession is essential.
David Mares-Davila is another student who chose the MSN-EIP program because, he says, "direct care with patients fills my cup." He grew up in a rural community and knows the need for healthcare professionals is real. He has experienced long wait times to see medical providers who often leave the area before he can establish ongoing care from them. “We need to figure out how to incentivize rural healthcare providers to stay in communities,” he says, and wonders if one answer is recruiting people who are from those areas to stay.
Creating community-school connections
This semester, the class has explored evidence-based strategies to increase awareness of healthcare careers among high school students. These strategies focus on creating connections between students, health academies, and healthcare institutions while providing opportunities for career exploration and hands-on experiences.
Next semester, Mares-Davila, Steffensmeier, and their classmates will complete practicums in the seven counties. These placements will span various settings, including local county hospitals, public health offices, and schools. The goal of the practicum is to provide students with hands-on experience in the diverse healthcare environments of rural communities, helping them better understand these settings and explore ways to contribute to improving rural healthcare.
“By gaining insight into the unique needs of these communities,” says Bechtel, “the students will be better prepared to support the overall health and resilience of Iowa's population through their future roles.”
Photo: Members of the MSN-EIP class are pictured with Bechtel (back row, 2nd from L) and partners Krista Tedrow and Teri Bockting (front row).