Essay Example on Rural & Remote Nursing: Bridging the Gap in Healthcare

Introduction

The definition of rural and remote nursing has been one of the most debated topics in the ministry of health. The government, researchers and other health authorities use different description and definition that has made it very difficult to develop a policy that the gaps the exist in health care. However much the government and the health authorities have realized that rural and remote health care as a good priority and several policies has been to boost the operations of rural nursing. Despite the geographical challenges and locations of the rural hospitals most of the nursing have a very good experience with their clients in the rural set up (Fuller Mills & Skinner, 2015). The nursing services in the rural set up is not equivalent to the nursing services that are offered in the urban setup. Therefore for the nurses to be at a position of offering high-quality care for the patients in the rural set up then they must be highly supported in their practice.

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Perception of the rural and remote nursing

My perception and understanding of rural and remote nursing have high improved after and in the process of this course. In now understand several factors behind rural and remote nursing, their operation, geographical setup and the challenges that they undergo in the course of their duty (Fuller Mills & Skinner, 2015). I understand that in most circumstances, nurses that are working in the rural set up are always the only available health practitioner in these community and mostly they do not have the full complement of providers such as therapist, physicians and community workers (Fuller Mills & Skinner, 2015). Several barriers tend to limit the opportunities of the nurses that are working in this remote set up to enable them to have their full scope. They generally don't have the opportunity of continuing their education so that they can be good leaders in the medical innovation field. These barriers that affect the nurses in the rural and remote set up should be recognized by policymakers and need to be addressed in a specific context of rural nursing and health care.

According to Trueman (2017), rural and remote nursing and practices are most often characterized by:

• Making a decision that is autonomous because of the limited access to human resources or even the needed supplies.
• They always hold advance knowledge and have the ability to perform multiple tasks because they are the only medical practitioners that are always present in these rural and remote health care centers.
• These nurses are struggling to maintain the required competency without having te opportunity to perform complex tasks regularly. This is mainly because they lack all the required equipment that is available in urban-based health care centers.
• These nurses feel professional isolation and at the same time, they have the fulfilling responsibility that would have been performed by other specialist providers in the urban setup.

The perception of geographical location as a determinant of health care

The general perception of geographical location as a determinant of health services and practices has changed from my perception. The geographical location of health care can enable or hinder nurses from having an opportunity to continue with their education system so that they can become leaders and innovators in the near future. This arises because some of the health care centers in the rural and remote areas don't even have proper access to roads and therefore these medical practitioners do not have the chance to access educational services. The geographical location of a hospital is most likely to determine the kind of services that are offered in these health care centers. Most of the complex operations are found in the urban health care centers as compared to the rural and remote areas.

Health care system and perception of the rural people

My thinking and perception of the health care system and the rural people have greatly in the course of this study. I realized that in most of the rural and remote communities, the indigenous health navigators have always been a very significant instrumental in the support of specialized needs of the people living in the indigenous community and also the needs of indigenous patients. However, because all the health practitioners that are working in the rural set up have the required responsibility to all the cultural, safety into practices, a more intense service concerning the continuation of education together with practical support is highly required.

Learning achieved in rural nursing

In conclusion, I have learned that various important changes should be taken to improve the health care outcomes and health care services for the people who are living in rural and remote communities. Almost all the nurses that work and live outside the urban centers have a different perspective and practice to their communities as compared to the nurses that work in the city. Nurses working in the rural set up have a very deep sense of pride and also a good connection to the community where they work and live.

References

BENNETT, P., BARLOW, V., BROWN, J., & JONES, D. (2011). What do graduate registered nurses want from jobs in rural/remote Australian communities?. Journal Of Nursing Management, 20(4), 485-490. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2011.01254.x

Cosgrave, C., Maple, M., & Hussain, R. (2018). An explanation of turnover intention among early-career nursing and allied health professionals working in rural and remote Australia - findings from a grounded theory study. Rural And Remote Health. doi: 10.22605/rrh4511

Fowler, A., Twigg, D., Jacob, E., & Nattabi, B. (2018). An integrative review of rural and remote nursing graduate programs and experiences of nursing graduates. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 27(5-6), e753-e766. doi: 10.1111/jocn.14211

Fuller, J., Mills, J., & Skinner, I. (2015). Nursing and midwifery: Pillars of rural and remote health innovation and development. Australian Journal Of Rural Health, 23(6), 311-312. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12265

Montour, A., Baumann, A., Blythe, J., & Hunsberger, M. (2009). The changing nature of nursing work in rural and small community hospitals. Rural And Remote Health, 9(1). doi: 10.22605/rrh1089

Trueman, S. (2017). Indigenous clients intersecting with mainstream nursing: a reflection. Rural And Remote Health, 17(1). doi: 10.22605/rrh3822