Breaking
the
Drought
WHY UNDERGRADUATE NURSES WANT TO WORK IN RURAL AREAS
Alison Rumbelow, Flinders University School of Nursing and Midwifery 2008
Did you know?
• The current nursing workforce in rural areas is ageing and experiencing a shortage in the numbers of staff. (2)
• Rural nurses are an integral and essential component of health care delivery in rural areas. (2, 3)
• Despite the majority of undergraduate nursing students intending to practice in metropolitan settings, a number
of students desire to practice in rural hospitals following their graduation. (1, 2, 8, 15)
• A literature review was conducted to explore the reasons why undergraduate nurses desire to practice in rural
settings and provide suggestions for the development of strategies to recruit more graduate nurses to rural areas.
A Rural Background
Filling the Gaps
First Hand Experience
• Students with a rural
background are more inclined
to pursue rural practice. (1, 4, 5, 6, 7,
• Students are aware of
the shortage of health
professionals in rural areas
and want to help overcome
this situation.(1, 5, 7, 10)
• Students are attracted to the
diversity and challenges of
rural nursing practice. (1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15)
• Undertaking a clinical
placement in a rural setting is
known to establish rural career
intentions in many students,
regardless of background (2, 3, 4,
8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
• A rural background can be
acquired by living in or making
connections with a rural
community. (14)
5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15)
• Placement allows students to
experience the nature of rural
clinical settings and enjoy
the lifestyle and sense of
community (2)
Recruitment Implications
“
I want to
bring my
knowledge
back to the
country, to
help service
those who
are lacking
(10)
services
• More students need to experience clinical placement in rural
settings.
• The ageing nursing workforce needs young graduates to
embrace rural nursing, thus ensuring the ongoing health of rural
communities.
Conclusion
• Undergraduate nursing students with a rural background, an
awareness of the workforce shortage or a previous experience in a
rural clinical setting are more likely to pursue rural nursing careers.
Acknowledgements
This poster was funded by the Flinders University of South Australia School of Nursing and
Midwifery. Thank you to the 2008 Mentoring Project Team, Dr. Lindy King and Dr. Jane Neill.
A special thanks to Lesley Siegloff, academic mentor, for her support, advice, enthusiasm and
passion for rural nursing.
Contact details: Alison Rumbelow, [email protected]
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
Bushy, A & Leipert, B 2005, Factors that influence students in choosing rural nursing practice: a pilot study, Rural and Remote Health (online) vol.5, no. 387, pp. 1-12
Courtney, M, Edwards, H, Smith, S & Finlayson, K, 2002, “The impact of rural clinical placement on student nurses’ employment intentions”, Collegian, Vol. 9, no.1, pp.12-18
Critchley, J, DeWitt, DE, Khan, MA & Liaw, ST 2007, A required rural health module increases students’ interest in rural health careers, Rural and Remote Health (online), vol.7, no.688, p.1-9
Dalton, LM, Routley, GK, Peek, KJ, 2008, Rural Placements in Tasmania: do experiential placements and background influence undergraduate health science student’s attitudes toward rural
practice?, Rural and Remote Health, vol.8, no. 962 (online)
5. Daniels, ZM, VanLeit, BJ, Skipper, BJ, Sanders, ML & Rhyne, RL 2007, Factors in recruiting and retaining health professionals for rural practice, National Rural Health Association, vol.23, no.1,
pp.62-71
6. Easterbrook, M, Godwin, M, Wilson, R, Hodgetts, G, Brown, G, Pong, R & Najgebauer, E 1999, Rural background and clinical rural rotations during medical training: effect on practice location,
Canadian Medical Association, apr 20, vol. 160, no,8, pp.1159-1163
7. Heaney, SE, Tolhurst, H & Baines, SK 2004, Choosing to practice in rural dietetics: What factors influence that decision?, Australian Journal of Rural Health, vol. 12, pp.192-196
8. Lea, J & Cruickshank, M 2005, Factors that influence the recruitment and retention of graduate nurses in rural health care facilities, Collegian, vol.12, no.2
9. Lea, J, Cruickshank, M, Paliadelis, P, Parmenter, G, Sanderson, H & Thornberry, P 2008, The lure of the bush: Do rural placements influence student nurses to seek employment in rural
settings?, Collegian, vol.15, p.77-82.
10. Lee, S & Mackenzie, L 2003, Starting out in rural new south wales: the experiences of new graduate occupational therapists, Australian Journal of Rural Health, vol. 11, pp.36-43
11. Orpin, P & Gabriel, M 2005, Recruiting undergraduates to rural practice: what the students can tell us, Rural and Remote Health, vol.5, no, 412, p.1-14
12. Playford, D, Larson, A & Wheatland, B 2006, Going country: Rural student placement factors associated with future rural employment in nursing and allied health, Australian Journal of Rural
Health, vol. 14, pp.14-19.
13. Schoo, AM, McNamara, KP & Stagnitti, KE 2008, Clinical placement and rurality of career commencement: a pilot study, Rural and Remote Health, vol. 8, no. 964 (online)
14. Somers, GT, Strasser, R & Jolly, B 2007, What does it take? The influence of rural upbringing and sense of rural background on medical students’ intention to work in a rural environment, Rural
and Remote Health (online), vol 7, no. 706, p.1-10
15. Taylor K, Henderson J, and Neill, J. (2007) How significant is rural background to recruiting and retaining rural and remote area nurses? Proceedings of 9th National Rural Health Conference:
‘Standing up for Rural Health – learning from the past, action for the future’ Albury, NSW , March 7-10th. Published on CD-ROM, National Rural Health Alliance [8p].