The strength of rural nursing: implications for undergraduate nursing education

Nursing in rural communities offers opportunities for independent nursing practice and community participation. However, recruitment of nurses to rural settings can be difficult. In response to this challenge and the rising demand within nursing education for community clinical placements, intensive, short-term, rural community clinical placements are being developed by urban universities. As yet, little research has examined the use of these placements for undergraduate nursing education. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine the experiences of students, registered nurse mentors, and clinical instructors in rural health clinical placements, as part of a larger study examining alternative clinical placements. Through use of the interpretive descriptive method, the perspectives of participants were elicited from focus groups and interviews. The paradox of nursing student placements in rural health is that limitations of the rural site became the impetus for nursing student learning and partnership. An implication is that service learning partnerships be pursued for mutual benefit of students, communities, and rural nurses.