Nurses who work in rural and remote communities in Canada: a national survey

Human Resources for Health

Research

Kelley Kilpatrick¹  Kelly Penz²  Norma J. Stewart³  Mary Ellen Andrews³  Neil Hanlon⁴  Judith C. Kulig⁵  Pertice Moffitt⁶  Penny Anguish⁷  Ruth Martin-Misener⁸  Irene Koren⁹  Nadine Mix^1,10  Martha L. P. MacLeod^1,10  Janna Olynick^1,10  Erin Wilson^1,10  Leana Garraway^1,10  Davina Banner^1,10  Linda Van Pelt^1,10  Larine Sluggett^1,10  Lela Zimmer^1,10  Julie Kosteniuk^1,11  Chandima Karunanayake^1,11 

[1] Centre de Reserche, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Université de Montréal, 5415 Assomption Boulevard, H1T 2M4, Montreal, QC, Canada;College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, 4400 4th Avenue, S4T 0H8, Regina, SK, Canada;College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Health Sciences Building, E Wing, 104 Clinic Place, S7N 2Z4, Saskatoon, SK, Canada;Department of Geography, School of Health Sciences and Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, V2N 4Z9, Prince George, BC, Canada;Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Dr W, T1K 6T5, Lethbridge, AB, Canada;North Slave Research Centre, Aurora College, Bag 9700, 5004-54th St, X1A 2R3, Yellowknife, NT, Canada;Northern Health Authority, 510-1488 4th Avenue, V2L 4Y2, Prince George, BC, Canada;School of Nursing, Dalhousie University, 5869 University Ave, B3H 4R2, Halifax, NS, Canada;School of Nursing, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, P3E 2C6, Sudbury, ON, Canada;School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, V2N 4Z9, Prince George, BC, Canada;University of Saskatchewan, P.O. Box 23, 104 Clinic Place, S7N 2Z4, Saskatoon, SK, Canada;

关键词: Rural;    Remote;    Northern;    Workforce;    Nurses;    Recruitment;    Retention;    Methodological challenges;    Survey;    Canada;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12960-017-0209-0

 received in 2016-11-10, accepted in 2017-05-11,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn Canada, as in other parts of the world, there is geographic maldistribution of the nursing workforce, and insufficient attention is paid to the strengths and needs of those providing care in rural and remote settings. In order to inform workforce planning, a national study, Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada II, was conducted with the rural and remote regulated nursing workforce (registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed or registered practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses) with the intent of informing policy and planning about improving nursing services and access to care. In this article, the study methods are described along with an examination of the characteristics of the rural and remote nursing workforce with a focus on important variations among nurse types and regions.MethodsA cross-sectional survey used a mailed questionnaire with persistent follow-up to achieve a stratified systematic sample of 3822 regulated nurses from all provinces and territories, living outside of the commuting zones of large urban centers and in the north of Canada.ResultsRural workforce characteristics reported here suggest the persistence of key characteristics noted in a previous Canada-wide survey of rural registered nurses (2001-2002), namely the aging of the rural nursing workforce, the growth in baccalaureate education for registered nurses, and increasing casualization. Two thirds of the nurses grew up in a community of under 10 000 people. While nurses’ levels of satisfaction with their nursing practice and community are generally high, significant variations were noted by nurse type. Nurses reported coming to rural communities to work for reasons of location, interest in the practice setting, and income, and staying for similar reasons. Important variations were noted by nurse type and region.ConclusionsThe proportion of the rural nursing workforce in Canada is continuing to decline in relation to the proportion of the Canadian population in rural and remote settings. Survey results about the characteristics and practice of the various types of nurses can support workforce planning to improve nursing services and access to care.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017