Undergraduate nursing students' clinical experiences in rural and remote areas: recruitment implications

Providing rural and remote clinical experiences for undergraduate nursing students could help address future recruitment in these areas, but adequate financial support for students during clinical placements is also necessary. Strategies to address nursing shortages to date have emphasised funding for rural re-entry programs, or supporting students from rural backgrounds to attend university courses. Assisting current undergraduate nursing students, especially those from urban backgrounds, to experience living and working in rural areas has been overlooked as a potential recruitment strategy. Ongoing qualitative evaluation of a clinical placement program shows students respond positively and with increased interest in returning to rural nursing after graduation. Unfortunately, many are disadvantaged financially by the added expense of their rural clinical rotation. Finding ways to support students from both urban and non-urban backgrounds to undertake rural and remote clinical placements should be an important strategic and funding priority.