UNC Nursing receives $200k grant to advance preceptor training in rural NC
May 20, 2026
The UNC School of Nursing will receive a $200,000 innovation grant from the University of North Carolina System to develop “Carolina PACT: Preceptor Advancement and Clinical Training,” a comprehensive preceptor preparation and support program designed to strengthen rural clinical education for nurse practitioner students.
The project will be piloted in partnership with North Carolina Area Health Education Centers in three rural counties (Robeson, Edgecombe, and Caldwell County) and expand clinical teaching capacity by offering standardized training, structured evaluation tools, simulation enhanced instructional strategies and ongoing support for preceptors.
The School’s preceptors are experienced clinicians from communities across the state who serve as essential partners in nurse practitioner education. Through their mentorship, clinical teaching, and ongoing evaluation of student performance, preceptors play a vital role in shaping the clinical competence, professional development, and confidence of the next generation of skilled and compassionate nurse practitioners prepared to provide high-quality patient care.
“The program will strengthen collaboration across clinical sites in partnership with AHECs, enhance student learning outcomes and help programs meet workforce needs in rural NC,” said UNC School of Nursing Professor and Dean Valerie Howard. “We are grateful for the state’s investment in our continued commitment to addressing North Carolina’s gap in access to healthcare in rural areas through innovative educational opportunities that expand training opportunities for nurses and advance the healthcare of all across the state.”
Over two years, the project, which will be directed by Professor and Assistant Dean Carrie Palmer, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, will build the curriculum, deploy training modules, strengthen partnerships, and evaluate impacts on preceptor retention and rural workforce outcomes. By enhancing preceptor preparation and support, Carolina PACT directly addresses structural constraints limiting access to high-quality clinical education and ultimately contributes to a more equitable and sustainable rural health workforce in North Carolina.
The award is part of the System’s recent allocation of $6.4 million in state-funded grants to help its universities, AHEC, and rural hospitals expand and establish new rural health care workforce training programs, strengthening the rural health care workforce and keeping health care closer to home for patients. The awards are from the UNC System Rural Residency Medical Education and Training Fund, established by the North Carolina General Assembly in the 2023 State Appropriations Act.
“Educating doctors, nurses, and health professionals to serve our state is one of the University’s most important responsibilities,” said UNC System President Peter Hans in a press release. “Every North Carolinian deserves quality care close to home, and we are committed to that mission. ”
Previously, the state allocated nearly $2.7 million from the UNC System Office as part of a legislative goal to increase the number of nursing graduates in the state by 2026 and double enrollment at Carolina Nursing. In addition, the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $87.9 million for a new Nursing Education Building in 2020. Read about the extraordinary progress the School is making here.
