Rural health nursing research review: global perspectives

The CINAHL and MEDLINE databases were used to conduct a review of international rural nursing research published between 2003 and 2007. In total, 41 articles were reviewed and organized based on the United Nations Human Development Index, which categorizes countries based on development status. Critical review of international rural nursing research yielded three major organizational themes: clinical issues, aspects of nursing practice, and nursing and health policy research. Despite the variety in international locale of the research, these themes and other common findings emerged. The need for increased access to specialized nursing knowledge, resources, and support is an ongoing issue facing nurses in rural and remote settings.