Texas is a big state with many small communities and community hospitals. Rural hospital providers have historically faced challenges in meeting a community’s health needs due to shrinking populations, low patient volumes, and physician and nursing shortages. Some are forced to close, and then residents must drive farther to the nearest hospital.
These rural communities need their safety net nurses more than ever, and these towns can be a great place to get started as a nurse. Even if the community doesn’t have a full-fledged hospital, they typically have a clinic or two. Living and working in a small community can be challenging, but building relationships with patients is fulfilling because you’re making a direct and important contribution to your community.
What is a Safety Net Provider?
Safety net providers serve people who are uninsured, low-income, and might rely solely on Medicaid or Medicare for healthcare coverage. The hospital or clinic serves anyone, of course, but safety net hospitals by definition help these vulnerable populations.
What Do You Gain from Experience as a Safety Net Provider?
Relationships
- Rural communities are tight-knit, and you’ll probably get to know some of your patients outside the clinic or hospital. It can be a good thing to understand who your patients are and where they come from.
- Small communities have charm, and people pull together and help each other in ways that larger communities don’t. It’s a unique aspect of small towns, and the friendships gained are something to be appreciated.
Expanded Professional Growth
- Rural hospitals or clinics may not have the staff to handle all duties all the time in the same way a city hospital can. It represents an opportunity because handling different kinds of situations broadens your skillset and expertise across healthcare. You could end up providing surgical assistance or help to deliver a baby.
Independence
- Because you’ll be called on to handle different kinds of situations, you may experience greater degree of autonomy in your decision-making and troubleshooting. In a small community, you’ll find out quickly who that aid call is for—no day is ever the same—and you may find yourself emerging as a medical leader.
Student Loan Forgiveness
- For an extra perk, Texas has a program for loan forgiveness. Registered nurses who commit to working for 12 months in a medically underserved area (under 50,000) may have up to $10,000 in federal student loans forgiven.
Ready to make a difference? Texas needs you. Learn more about our BSN program at Denver College of Nursing in Houston or call us today at (303) 292-0015 and speak to one of our nursing admissions advisors.