[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 20 (Monday, February 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 4882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2232]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects 
being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995. To request more information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, call 
the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    Proposed Project: Employment Sites of Nursing Graduates Supported 
by the Professional Nurse Traineeship Program (HRSA 98-141)--New.
    Under Section 830 of Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, 
Professional Nurse Traineeship (PNT) grants are awarded to eligible 
institutions for the support of students in advanced nursing education. 
Traineeships are then awarded by the institutions to individuals 
enrolled in graduate programs to prepare for practice as advanced 
practice nurses. These funds are distributed to institutions based on a 
formula that incorporates three statutory funding factors. The factor 
to be studied is the funding preference which is given to institutions 
that can demonstrate either a high rate of placing graduates in 
medically underserved communities (MUCs), or achieving a significant 
increase in the rate of placing graduates in such settings.
    This study is intended to assess the influence of funding 
preference on program performance and to determine program success in 
placing PNT graduates in MUCs. Approximately 5,000 graduates who 
received Master's or Doctoral degrees in academic years 1996-1997 and 
1997-1998, including 1,200 who received PNT funds but were not 
graduates of the schools receiving the preference, will be included in 
this survey. Data will be obtained on the graduates place of residence 
and place of employment before, during and after their program of 
study. The study will examine various measures associated with the 
career paths chosen by these graduates and by comparing these measures 
within and between the two groups of graduates. Comparisons of 
employment sites of graduates in schools receiving the preference with 
those of graduates in schools not receiving the preference will 
indicate the significance of funding preference in promoting program 
objectives of increasing access to care in underserved communities. 
Information on both the nursing-specialty of graduates and their 
current employment setting will be analyzed for each of the two groups.
    The estimated burden is as follows:

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                                                                                   Hours per
                    Form                         Number of      Responses per       response       Total burden
                                                respondents       respondent       (minutes)          hours
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Survey......................................            5000                1               20             1667
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    Send comments to Susan G. Queen, Ph.D., HRSA Reports Clearance 
Officer, Room 14-36, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, 
MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this 
notice.

    Dated: January 26, 1999.
Jane Harrison,
Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. 99-2232 Filed 1-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-U