Community Spirit, Cultural Connections, and Authentic Learning in Rural Preceptorship

An authentic learning environment fosters socialization of nursing students to a particular community context and unique culture of the individuals who reside in that culture. The final preceptorship provides an extended clinical practice experience allowing for this immersion, while providing consolidation of learning as preparation to enter practice.

PhotoVoice was used as an innovative data collection method to engage participants throughout the research process. Participants self-selected photographic images that represented the unique rural preceptorship experience through their eyes.

Rurality was described by participants as more than a geographic location, but as a sense of place, or a way of being and doing, that represented rural life. Rurality was depicted more specifically by participants in terms of community spirit and cultural contexts.

Rural practice placements have the potential to enrich undergraduate nursing education and to expose undergraduate nursing students to the role of the rural nurse. More research is needed about rural health to understand the cultural and contextual factors that uniquely affect the health status of rural Canadians. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(3):144-151.].