The utility of conceptualisations of place and belonging in workforce retention: A proposal for future rural health research

Abstract

This paper explores the utility of sense of place, place attachment and belonging-in-place for research into rural health workforce retention. One of the key contributors to health disparities between rural and metropolitan-based residents is inadequate staffing of rural health services, and many rural places around the world struggle to retain health professionals. Despite some recognition of the complex array of factors and circumstances impacting rural workforce retention, research focuses primarily on organisational and role-based causes. Health geography and concepts associated with place currently being used in some rural research may offer much to workforce retention research, especially when applied alongside person-centred approaches.

Keywords: Belonging-in-place; Person-centred; Place attachment; Retention; Rural health workforce; Sense of place.