IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i6p5113-d1096844.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Tracks to Postgraduate Rural Practice: Longitudinal Qualitative Follow-Up of Nursing Students Who Undertook a Rural Placement in Western Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Caroline Crossley

    (Western Australian Centre for Rural Health, University of Western Australia, Geraldton, WA 6531, Australia)

  • Marjorie Collett

    (Western Australian Centre for Rural Health, University of Western Australia, Geraldton, WA 6531, Australia)

  • Sandra C. Thompson

    (Western Australian Centre for Rural Health, University of Western Australia, Geraldton, WA 6531, Australia)

Abstract

The nursing workforce is the backbone of healthcare provision in rural and remote Australia. Introducing student nurses to rural clinical placements is one strategy used to address the shortfall of healthcare workers outside of major cities, with the goal of improving the training, recruitment and retention of nurses in rural areas. The aim of this qualitative, longitudinal study was to better understand personal and professional decision-making around rural nursing practice intentions and subsequent rural employment and retention. The study methodology consisted of repeated semi-structured interviews with student nurses who had completed at least one rural placement and following them on their journey to becoming graduate nurses over a 6-year period. Thematic longitudinal analysis was undertaken, with three main themes developing, each with further subthemes: (1) participants’ satisfaction with rural placements; (2) their challenges with gaining employment; and (3) considerations regarding ‘going rural’ for work. The participants engaged in both prospective and retrospective reflection around several professional, personal, and wider systemic barriers and enablers to rural practice, which are discussed in detail in this paper. The insights from this longitudinal study have the potential to assist the development of a sustainable rural nursing workforce through informing rural workforce programs, strategies and policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Caroline Crossley & Marjorie Collett & Sandra C. Thompson, 2023. "Tracks to Postgraduate Rural Practice: Longitudinal Qualitative Follow-Up of Nursing Students Who Undertook a Rural Placement in Western Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-18, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:6:p:5113-:d:1096844
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/6/5113/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/6/5113/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rosalie D. Thackrah & Jennifer Wood & Sandra C. Thompson, 2021. "Longitudinal Follow Up of Early Career Midwives: Insights Related to Racism Show the Need for Increased Commitment to Cultural Safety in Aboriginal Maternity Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-14, January.
    2. Catherine Cosgrave & Christina Malatzky & Judy Gillespie, 2019. "Social Determinants of Rural Health Workforce Retention: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-19, January.
    3. Catherine Cosgrave, 2020. "The Whole-of-Person Retention Improvement Framework: A Guide for Addressing Health Workforce Challenges in the Rural Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-14, April.
    4. Jens Holst, 2020. "Increasing Rural Recruitment and Retention through Rural Exposure during Undergraduate Training: An Integrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-19, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Catherine Cosgrave, 2020. "Context Matters: Findings from a Qualitative Study Exploring Service and Place Factors Influencing the Recruitment and Retention of Allied Health Professionals in Rural Australian Public Health Servic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-27, August.
    2. Claire Ellen Seaman & Elyce Green & Kate Freire, 2022. "Effect of Rural Clinical Placements on Intention to Practice and Employment in Rural Australia: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-24, April.
    3. Priya Martin & Monica Moran & Nicky Graham & Anne Hill, 2021. "The Integral Role of Organisational Governance in Promoting Interprofessional Education in Rural Settings," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-8, March.
    4. Chelsey Kirkland & Kari Oldfield-Tabbert & Harshada Karnik & Jason Orr & Skky Martin & Jonathon P. Leider, 2022. "Public Health Workforce Gaps, Impacts, and Improvement Strategies from COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-13, October.
    5. Keera Laccos-Barrett & Angela Elisabeth Brown & Roianne West & Katherine Lorraine Baldock, 2022. "Are Australian Universities Perpetuating the Teaching of Racism in Their Undergraduate Nurses in Discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Courses? A Critical Race Document Analysis Protocol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-15, June.
    6. Hiba Khan & Amber & Shaikh Maria Tabassum & Urooj Saghir, 2024. "Optimizing Employee Well-Being through Occupational Therapy Interventions: Assessing the Role of Work Environment Adaptation," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 13(3), pages 178-183.
    7. Marta Roczniewska & Anne Richter & Henna Hasson & Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz, 2020. "Predicting Sustainable Employability in Swedish Healthcare: The Complexity of Social Job Resources," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-19, February.
    8. Emma V. Taylor & Rosalie D. Thackrah & Sandra C. Thompson, 2022. "Improving Access to Cancer Treatment Services in Australia’s Northern Territory—History and Progress," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-18, June.
    9. Moscelli, Giuseppe & Sayli, Melisa & Mello, Marco, 2022. "Staff Engagement, Coworkers' Complementarity and Employee Retention: Evidence from English NHS Hospitals," IZA Discussion Papers 15638, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Wanchun Xu & Zijing Pan & Zhong Li & Shan Lu & Liang Zhang, 2020. "Job Burnout Among Primary Healthcare Workers in Rural China: A Multilevel Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-18, January.
    11. Emma V. Taylor & Sarah Dugdale & Christine M. Connors & Gail Garvey & Sandra C. Thompson, 2024. "“A Huge Gap”: Health Care Provider Perspectives on Cancer Screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the Northern Territory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-20, January.
    12. Xue Zhang & Mildred E. Warner & Elaine Wethington, 2020. "Can Age-Friendly Planning Promote Equity in Community Health Across the Rural-Urban Divide in the US?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-16, February.
    13. Sarah J. Prior & Carey A. Mather & Steven J. Campbell, 2023. "Redesigning Rural Acute Stroke Care: A Person-Centered Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-12, January.
    14. Catherine Cosgrave, 2020. "The Whole-of-Person Retention Improvement Framework: A Guide for Addressing Health Workforce Challenges in the Rural Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-14, April.
    15. Elyce Green & Sarah Hyde & Rebecca Barry & Brent Smith & Claire Ellen Seaman & Jayne Lawrence, 2022. "Placement Architectures in Practice: An Exploration of Student Learning during Non-Traditional Work-Integrated Learning in Rural Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-17, December.
    16. Priya Martin & Anne Hill & Martelle Ford & Tessa Barnett & Nicky Graham & Geoff Argus, 2022. "A Novel Interprofessional Education and Supervision Student Placement Model: Student and Clinical Educator Perspectives and Experiences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-12, August.
    17. Zhanming Liang & Jemma C. King & Cate Nagle & Tilley Pain & Andrew J. Mallett, 2024. "Empowering and Building the Capabilities of Mid-Level Health Service Managers to Lead and Support the Health Workforce—A Study Protocol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(8), pages 1-11, July.
    18. Belinda Kenny & David O'Connor & Ellie Sugden & Clarice Y. Tang & Caterina Tannous & Elizabeth Thyer, 2023. "Engaging Industry in Health Professions’ Education: Benefits and Challenges," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-23, June.
    19. Hannah Beks & Sandra Walsh & Laura Alston & Martin Jones & Tony Smith & Darryl Maybery & Keith Sutton & Vincent L Versace, 2022. "Approaches Used to Describe, Measure, and Analyze Place of Practice in Dentistry, Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Rural Graduate Workforce Research in Australia: A Systematic Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-15, January.
    20. Maria Jose & Amarech Obse & Mark Zuidgeest & Olufunke Alaba, 2023. "Assessing Medical Students’ Preferences for Rural Internships Using a Discrete Choice Experiment: A Case Study of Medical Students in a Public University in the Western Cape," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(20), pages 1-15, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:6:p:5113-:d:1096844. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.