Rural Nursing Workforce: Current Educational Characteristics and Options for Improvement

Rural areas in the U.S. have fewer nurses per capita than urban areas, and those nurses are more likely to have associate's rather than bachelor's degrees. Given the Institute of Medicine's goal to raise the proportion of registered nurses (RNs) with bachelor's-level degrees to 80% by 2020, research is needed to examine the educational attainment of RNs across the U.S. and explore registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing (RN-to-BSN) program activities to attract, train and place nurse trainees in rural communities.

Publications

• A National Survey of RN-to-BSN Programs: Are They Reaching Rural Students?
  Journal Article
  University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2020
  This study used a national survey of RN-to-BSN programs to better understand their potential role in addressing disparities in BSN-prepared nurses in rural and urban areas. The results are needed to inform policymakers and stakeholders who are responsible for addressing the status and needs of nursing education.
• Rural-Urban Differences in Educational Attainment Among Registered Nurses: Implications for Achieving an 80% BSN Workforce
  Journal Article
  University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2020
  Our primary objective was to provide updated information on rural-urban differences in educational attainment. We also examined rural-urban differences in employment type, salary, and demographics among registered nurses in different practice settings.