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Why nurses are attracted to rural and remote practice
Desley Hegney1, Alexandra McCarthy, Cath Rogers-Clark
1Centre for Rural and Remote Area Nursing, University of Southern Queensland, PO Darling Heights, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia.
The Australian Journal of Rural Health
|June 26, 2002
Summary
Personal, professional, and rural factors influenced nurses to stay in rural and remote practice. These findings align with existing research and inform strategies for nurse recruitment and retention in underserved areas.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Rural Health
- Healthcare Workforce Studies
Background:
- Rural and remote areas face challenges in nurse recruitment and retention.
- Understanding factors influencing nurses' decisions to remain in practice is crucial for workforce stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors influencing nurses' decisions to remain in rural and remote area practice.
- To provide evidence-based recommendations for attracting and retaining nurses in these areas.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey of nurses formerly employed by Queensland Health.
- Data collected from nurses who resigned from permanent positions between February 1999 and May 2000.
Main Results:
- Identified key personal, professional, and rural influences on nurses' decisions to stay in rural/remote practice.
- Findings are consistent with national and international research on rural nursing retention.
Conclusions:
- Personal, professional, and rural factors are critical for retaining nurses in rural and remote practice.
- Recommendations are proposed to enhance the attraction and retention of nurses in these vital roles.