Perceived Facilitators and Barriers to Rural Ambulatory Care Practice Among Registered Nurses

Little research has addressed the factors that drew nurses into practice in ambulatory care settings and, particularly in rural areas, keep them in the profession and work setting. An estimated 35-65% of new nurses leave the field within their first year of practice. Factors such as job satisfaction, autonomy, and perception that one's work is valued contribute to job retention and may differ across levels of rurality. This project conducted a mail study of nurses in rural and urban ambulatory care practice settings to identify facilitators and barriers to job retention experienced by these practitioners.

Publications

• Factors Associated With Perceived Job Preparedness Among RNs: Results From a National Survey
  Journal Article
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2020
  This article examines perceived job preparedness by demographic and professional characteristics among practicing registered nurses who completed a national survey. Rural and male nurses felt less prepared for nursing practice and may benefit from tailored educational experiences to improve perceptions of being prepared for the workforce.
• Perceived Facilitators and Barriers to Rural Nursing Practice
  Policy Brief
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 08/2019
  A web-based survey was disseminated to a geographically diverse sample of nurses throughout the U.S. to assess perceived barriers and facilitators to nursing practice; job satisfaction; and self-identified challenges in nursing work environments and patient care. Of particular interest were nurses in ambulatory care practices.