All students who took their certification exams in June passed. FNPs are advanced practice nurses who, upon certification, are qualified to provide primary health care. Since FNPs are independently licensed they're able to provide basic treatments, make referrals and write prescriptions in 38 states, including Virginia. Estimates are that the nation's supply of master's prepared advanced practice nurses will be less than half the projected national requirement by the year 2000 and these shortages are projected to be even greater in rural areas. So when accepting applicants to its FNP master's program, RU gives priority to those who expressed a commitment to rural health care.
Rural students tend to come back and work in rural areas.
Also in rural areas, we found that people die of treatable things at a younger age. By providing more family nurse practitioners, we should be able to help people live longer, healthier lives. Leisure Services students can almost always be found coaching sports like soccer or football for the City of Radford or neighboring towns. Leisure services students also run after school recreation programs at McHarg Elementary School in Radford. But it certainly doesn't end there.