NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Sahtu Settlement Area, Dehcho Region, North Slave Region, South Slave Region, Qikiqtaaluk Region

Tags: nursing, retention strategy, recruitment

Objective(s): To contribute to policy discussions on nurses ‘practice, recruitment, retention, and education in rural/remote Canada.

Project Description: The main objectives of this research project are to: 1. Describe and compare the roles and functions of nurses practicing in various work environments and with differing scopes of practice to determine how roles are enacted in rural/remote communities; 2. Describe the engagement of nurses with primary health care in rural/remote communities; 3. Examine what contributes to the recruitment of nurses to rural/remote practice; 4. Develop a predictive model for retention of nurses in rural/remote communities; 5. Develop a predictive model for preparedness for nursing practice in rural/remote communities; 6. Determine changes in the nature of rural/remote nursing practice over the last decade; 7. Determine how nurses in rural/remote Canada can best be prepared, recruited, and supported in their work; 8. Identify priorities for organizational support, policy support and basic and ongoing education of nurses in rural/remote Canada; and 9. Contribute to policy discussions on nurses’ practice, recruitment, retention, and education in rural/remote Canada. A national survey will be mailed to nurses in the territories. The sample for the mail out of the surveys will be selected by the Registered Nurses Association of Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Participants can complete the survey in paper format or via web system. This study involves the Dillam method for getting the best survey response rates. This means that one week after initial contact, a thank you reminder postcard will be sent to all respondents. A full survey package will be again mailed out 4 weeks later to all of those who have not responded. By participating in this study, nurses will be providing information on the nature of nursing practice in rural and remote Canada, and how nursing services and access to nursing care in rural and remote Canada can be enhanced. A final report will be written for policy briefing. Papers will be targeted for journals. The information will also be placed on the webpage (http://ruralnursing.unbc.ca). The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from October 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.