Community in Action
Examples of programs, policies, and tools in action.

Loan Forgiveness Program Brings Nursing Students to Rural Montana

December 1, 2015
State:

Nursing students who commit to at least two years of work at a rural hospital following graduation could qualify for partial loan reimbursement, thanks to an eastern Montana program that’s aiming to recruit nurses to rural hospitals.

The Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) program, established by The Montana Health Network, employs nursing students the summer before graduation. Student UAPs work in a rural medical setting and practice skills including calculating and administering medications, inserting catheters, and various other duties. Nurses who return to one of the 13 rural member hospitals after graduation and work there for at least two years become eligible for the loan forgiveness program.

As of 2015, approximately 76% of the program’s 34 UAP students returned to work in one of the member hospitals, and 5 of those students have obtained loan forgiveness.

To learn more about the Montana Health Network’s UAP program, visit the Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) summary of the project. To connect with program staff, contact Christine Williams at (406) 234-1424 or [email protected].

Communities in Action provide examples of strategies or tools in action. Their purpose is to connect like-minded communities in their implementation efforts, giving insight into how others are tackling key challenges and what they've accomplished. To learn more about the evidence supporting this strategy's effectiveness or resources to help move towards implementation, see the What Works for Health summary of Higher education financial incentives for health professionals serving underserved areas.

Date added: December 1, 2015