Enhancing the Provision of Palliative Care in Alabama through APRN Education and Leadership

Through the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program, I will develop into a future palliative care (PC) leader by mobilizing advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in rural primary care practice settings to serve as leaders and advocates for primary PC within their communities and Alabama. My leadership development plan focuses on two areas for growth: education in APRN PC scope of practice and effective PC advocacy at the state and national levels. AIM 1 of my project involves three processes: 1) educating APRNs in PC through the completion of End of Life Nursing Education Consortium Graduate curriculum; 2) APRN focus groups to identify barriers to and facilitators of primary PC provision in rural primary care practice; and 3) APRN prioritization of factors. AIM 2 requires the mentoring of APRNs in leadership and advocacy. I will engage in a process of mentoring APRNs in PC leadership and advocacy that will culminate in delivering a presentation to the Alabama State Advisory Council for Palliative Care and Quality of Life. Developing APRNs as PC leaders will require education and close collaboration with their communities and the state legislature. This project will serve as an example of mobilizing nurses to improve the provision of PC in a state with traditionally poor outcomes and ratings. Participating in this program will catalyze my movement toward my goal of becoming a leading national PC nursing educator and advocate.