Country Nurse Practitioner Program

Making Primary Care a Priority

Did you know that 20% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas but only 9% of physicians practice there? Illinois Farm Bureau has created an innovative program that tackles the primary care in our small towns. The Rural Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program (RNPSP) supports nurses who want to become nurse practioners and serve in rural communities.

What is a nurse practitioner?
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have the extra education and training needed to perform a variety of services, including giving physical exams, diagnosising and treating of common ailments, and prescribing drugs. Nurses with these skills are needed to fill gaps in primary care left by an increasing shortage of doctors.

How does it work?
Since 1992, Illinois Farm Bureau has been awarding $4000 grants to approved registered nurses who are goimg to school to get their nurse practioners degree and license. In return, these men and women make a two-year committment to practicing in an underserved rural community. 

 Source: Study conducted by Thomas Jefferson University's Medical College