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Rural Health Curriculum in Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs: A Narrative Review
Kyanna Harris1, Hilary N Touchett1,2,3, Alexandra Caloudas1,3,4,5
1Houston VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Purpose:
Rural communities face persistent health disparities and ongoing healthcare workforce shortages, especially in nursing. Despite national attention on strengthening the rural nursing pipeline, little synthesis exists on how rural health is integrated into nursing curricula. This narrative review provides an overview of the current landscape of rural health content within Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in the United States.
Methods:
A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and institutional sources was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, ERIC, Scopus, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) database. U.S.-based BSN programs with explicit rural health training or learning components were included. Data were extracted and synthesized using a narrative approach to identify recurring themes and institutional variations.
Findings:
Sixty-three nursing programs met our inclusion criteria; however, many had various courses or initiatives for a total of 93 courses/initiatives. The majority of courses/initiatives were community-focused (n = 59), followed by underserved communities (n = 37). Few BSN programs had explicit rural health content (n = 20) that incorporated rural-specific courses or structured clinical experiences addressing rural practice.
Conclusions:
Rural health remains underrepresented in BSN curricula. Findings underscore the need for systematic integration of rural concepts through coursework, simulation, and partnerships with rural healthcare facilities to strengthen the rural nursing workforce.
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