What do graduate registered nurses want from jobs in rural/remote Australian communities?

Abstract

Aim To explore and describe the needs of new graduate registered nurses in a ruraland remote (R&R) setting within Australia.Background Rural practice has distinctive challenges for nurses. Nurses make upthe largest and most widely distributed health workforce in Australia, outnumberingdoctors 8 : 1 in R&R areas.Evaluation Literature was used to evaluate the graduate registered nurses needs inR&R communities.Key issues Three main themes emerged: expectations, support and workloads.Themes reflected enablers and disablers of retention of nurses as they transitionfrom student role to new graduate practice.Conclusion New graduates are aware of their limitations as new practitioners.There is an expectation that their employers will provide a supportive learningenvironment for them to gain the skills necessary to become proficient and valuableemployees.Implications for nursing management This commentary paper identifies the needfor a structured, supported new graduate programme that recognizes and meets theneeds, both clinical and social, of new graduate registered nurses in the R&Rcontext.