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 rural and remote (R&R) setting within Australia.

Background: Rural practice has distinctive challenges for nurses. Nurses make up the largest and most widely distributed health workforce in Australia, outnumbering doctors 8:1 in R&R areas.

Evaluation: Literature was used to evaluate the graduate registered nurses' needs in R&R communities.

Key issues: Three main themes emerged: expectations, support and workloads. Themes reflected enablers and disablers of retention of nurses as they transition from 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 learning environment for them to gain the skills necessary to become proficient and valuable employees.

Implications for nursing management: This commentary paper identifies the need for a structured, supported new graduate programme that recognizes and meets the needs, both clinical and social, of new graduate registered nurses in the R&R context.