Academic nursing practice in rural West Virginia

This exemplar highlights how a rural academic nursing practice has been effective in facilitating the integration of the tripartite academic role of education, research, and service for one university faculty member. The integration of students into the practice is described. The experience provided them with critical insights into rural academic practice during their delivery of prenatal care services to a vulnerable population of women in rural Appalachia. This exemplar also describes the use of the academic nursing practice as a laboratory both for studying the specific problems of this vulnerable population of women and their families, and testing interventions tailored to the needs of the community. Finally, the other ways the academic nursing practice benefits faculty and students, including integration of educational technology into the practice setting and opportunities for faculty leadership in rural community development, are discussed.