Current Center Initiatives

We are actively working to find new partnerships and initiatives. We welcome organizations to reach out for collaboration ideas.

Mobile Simulation Lab (MSL)

Delivers high-fidelity, hands-on simulation training directly to rural healthcare settings—bringing advanced learning tools to both practicing professionals and UTA nursing students completing clinicals in rural areas.
Reinforces essential skills in critical care scenarios—including obstetrics, trauma, and emergency response—ensuring students and staff are prepared for real-world challenges in low-resource environments.
Strengthens rural clinical education by supporting UTA students in the field, while also helping rural facilities with recruitment, retention, and ongoing workforce development.
For more information on bringing the MSL out to your rural community, please contact Jill Whitfill directly, jill.whitfill@uta.edu.

Provides a 360-degree immersive simulation environment that allows UTA nursing students—especially those training for rural practice—to experience realistic clinical scenarios in a controlled, supportive setting.
Prepares students for the unique challenges of rural healthcare through customizable simulations focused on limited-resource environments, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Enhances clinical readiness and confidence for students and practicing nurses, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world rural healthcare delivery.
For more information on bringing the MSL out to your rural community, please contact Jill Whitfill directly, jill.whitfill@uta.edu.

This 8-week grant writing course provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the grant process—from identifying funding opportunities and understanding key components (including budgets), to writing and submitting a complete grant proposal. Participants will receive personalized support from an experienced grant writer throughout the course, including guidance on current or upcoming grant opportunities relevant to their work.
To enroll in this course, please email Mayanda Serhan, RN, mayanda.serhan@uta.edu.

Co-hosts – Aspen Drude, Manager of the Center for Rural Health and Nursing, and Dr. Jeff Taylor, Director of Student Success
This first season of Behind the Scrubs focuses on getting different perspectives of rural healthcare challenges and solutions
Listen on any of your favorite podcast apps by clicking here!

This 12 month virtual residency program will help ensure you are at your best in your first year of RN practice!
Requirements include: must be a currently licensed registered nurse, must have less than 24 months RN experience, must have graduated from an Accredited School of Nursing, must be currently practicing in a rural county in Texas.
Objectives include: participating in evidence-based projects, demonstrating critical thinking skills, applying coping mechanisms to decrease stress levels, and orientation to organizational culture and clinical scope and standards of practice.
If you are a nursing leader looking for a residency program for your new RNs, please contact Dr. SuLynn Mester, Jaci.mester@uta.edu.

For more information about any of these programs, please reach out to CRHN@uta.edu or visit our Contact Us page!