Learning maternity: the experiences of rural nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Rural Health
• Maternity Care

Background:

• Rural healthcare settings in British Columbia face unique challenges in providing consistent maternity care.
• Declining birth rates, increased workloads, and reduced mentoring opportunities hinder skill development for rural nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of rural nurses providing maternity care.
• To identify challenges and implications for continuing professional education (CPE) and nurse retention.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research involving interviews with frontline nurses, managers, and healthcare providers.
• Observational studies of nursing practices in rural maternity care settings.

Main Results:

• A primary challenge is ensuring the consistent availability of skilled maternity/perinatal nurses.
• Nurses perceive institutional processes around continuing professional education (CPE) as burdensome, emphasizing personal responsibility for "continuing competence."
• These factors negatively affect CPE opportunities, job satisfaction, and potentially patient safety.

Conclusions:

• The current system for allocating CPE resources places an undue burden on rural nurses.
• Addressing these challenges is crucial for improving maternity care, ensuring patient safety, and retaining nurses in rural areas.