Background: Universities are communities with specific health care needs, and rural campuses often do not have access to student health services (SHS).
Problem: Lack of basic services can increase health risks for students and the greater community.
Methods: A theory-informed quality improvement project utilizing an organizational assessment, study survey, and proof-of-concept intervention designed to demonstrate feasibility and acceptability of a SHS clinic.
Intervention: An NP-directed influenza immunization clinic was conducted on a small rural college campus in southeastern United States.
Results: Seventy-eight students received influenza vaccinations, demonstrating to local stakeholders the feasibility and acceptability of SHS for primary preventative services. Ninety-seven percent of these students expressed a high likelihood that they would obtain the vaccine again.
Conclusions: Results of this study can be used as an exemplar to guide health care initiatives focused on college students in rural communities.
Keywords: nurse practitioner-directed clinics; rural college health; student health services.
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