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Healthcare
Special Issues
Rural and Remote Nursing
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Rural and Remote Nursing

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2018) | Viewed by 54672

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mary Ellen Andrews

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
Interests: rural and remote nursing; rural health care services; advanced practice nursing; nurse practitioner practice; primary health care services; rural patient access to care; interprofessional education and practice; evidence-based practice; qualitative and quantitative research methodologies; health care innovations and technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The delivery of health care to people living in rural and remote geographical locations continues to focus on addressing the complex and unique factors that surround service inequities: financial and human resources, transportation, access to health promotion/prevention information, culturally appropriate services, medical specialists, and the integration of health care technologies. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the work of rural and remote nurses. We encourage contributions from authors with a lens on health innovation, interprofessional practice, continuing education, vulnerable populations and in addition to a focus on rural and remote nurses, nursing practice and patient care. Topics can include original research, rural and remote research methods, program evaluations, concept analyses and literature reviews.

Dr. Mary Ellen Andrews
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nurse
  • nurse practitioner
  • advanced practice nursing
  • rural nursing
  • remote nursing
  • interprofessional practice
  • rural health services
  • innovations
  • technology
  • access to care
  • cultural sensitivity

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 231 KiB  
Article
Making New Health Services Work: Nurse Leaders as Facilitators of Service Development in Rural Emergency Services
by Helle Kise Hjertstrøm, Aud Obstfelder and Bente Norbye
Healthcare 2018, 6(4), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6040128 - 27 Oct 2018
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4595
Abstract
Nurse leaders in middle management positions in Norway and other Western countries perform additional new tasks due to high demands for quality and efficacy in healthcare services. These nurses are increasingly becoming responsible for service development and innovation in addition to their traditional [...] Read more.
Nurse leaders in middle management positions in Norway and other Western countries perform additional new tasks due to high demands for quality and efficacy in healthcare services. These nurses are increasingly becoming responsible for service development and innovation in addition to their traditional leadership and management roles. This article analyses two Norwegian nurse leaders efforts in developing an emergency service in rural municipal healthcare. The analysis applies an ethnographic approach to the data collection by combining interviews with the nurse leaders with observations and interviews with six nurses in the emergency service. The primary theoretical concepts used to support the analysis include “organizing work” and “articulation work”. The results show that in the development of an existing emergency room service, the nurse leaders drew upon their experience as clinical nurses and leaders in various middle management positions in rural community healthcare. Due to their local knowledge and experience, the nurses were able to mobilize and facilitate cooperation among relevant actors in the community and negotiate for resources required for emergency medical equipment, professional development, and staffing to perform emergency care within the rural healthcare context. Due to their distinctive professional and organizational competency and experience, the nurse leaders were well equipped to play a key role in developing services. While mobilizing actors and negotiating for resources, the nurses creatively balanced these two aspects of nursing work to develop the service in accordance to their expectation of providing the highest quality of nursing care to their patients. The nurse leaders balanced their professional ambitions for the service with legal directives, economic incentives, and budgets. Throughout the development process, the nurses carefully combined value-based and goal-based management concerns. In contrast, other studies investigating nursing management and leadership have described that these orientations are in opposition to each other. This study shows that nurses leading the processes of change in rural communities manage the change process by combining the professional and organizational domains of the services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural and Remote Nursing)
10 pages, 223 KiB  
Article
How a Communication Intervention in Zambia Re-Oriented Health Services to the Needs of the Least-Supported
by Tony Klouda, Cathy Green, Miniratu Soyoola, Paula Quigley, Tendayi Kureya, Caroline Barber and Kenneth Mubuyaeta
Healthcare 2018, 6(3), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6030114 - 13 Sep 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3861
Abstract
Despite decades of training health workers in communication, complaints from clients and communities about poor health worker attitudes abound. This was found to be so in Zambia where the More Mobilizing Access to Maternal Health Services in Zambia (MORE MAMaZ) program was trying [...] Read more.
Despite decades of training health workers in communication, complaints from clients and communities about poor health worker attitudes abound. This was found to be so in Zambia where the More Mobilizing Access to Maternal Health Services in Zambia (MORE MAMaZ) program was trying to ensure the inclusion of under-supported women in a community-based maternal and newborn health program in five intervention districts. Under-supported women suffer a disproportionate burden of child mortality and are poor users of health services. An exploratory small-scale qualitative survey involving nurses from training schools and health facilities found that nurses knew how to communicate well, but were selective with whom and in what circumstances they did this. In general, those who received the worst communication were under-supported and had low confidence—the very people who needed the best communication. An experiential training program was started to help health workers reflect on the reasons for their poor communication. The training was evaluated after 14 months using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with staff at participating health facilities. The results showed improved inclusion of under-supported women but also increased attendance generally for ante-natal clinics, deliveries and under-five clinics. Another outcome was improved communication between, and a sense of job satisfaction among, the health workers themselves. The program demonstrated an effective way to improve the inclusion and involvement of the least-supported women and girls. There are important lessons for other health programs that aim to operationalize the goals of the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health, which include an emphasis on reaching every woman. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural and Remote Nursing)
9 pages, 239 KiB  
Article
Improving Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge among Rural Participants: The Results of a Cluster Randomized Trial
by Laurie S. Abbott and Elizabeth H. Slate
Healthcare 2018, 6(3), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6030071 - 25 Jun 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4451
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death and disability, especially among people living in the rural, southern United States. Rural African Americans are often diagnosed with CVD earlier in life, and they bear a disproportionate burden of CVD risk factors, morbidity, [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death and disability, especially among people living in the rural, southern United States. Rural African Americans are often diagnosed with CVD earlier in life, and they bear a disproportionate burden of CVD risk factors, morbidity, and mortality. Health equity among historically underserved, rural populations can potentially be attained through culturally relevant interventions that teach people skills to stay well and avoid CVD-related risk and diagnoses. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to determine the effect of an evidence-based intervention on cardiovascular health knowledge and the stages of change toward the action and maintenance phases. The pre-test-post-test data were obtained during a cluster randomized trial involving twelve rural churches that were randomized to intervention (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups. Participants (n = 115) in the intervention group received a cardiovascular health intervention, and those (n = 114) in the control group could receive the intervention following the study’s completion. The data were analyzed using a linear mixed model to compare group differences from pre-test to post-test. The cardiovascular health promotion intervention significantly improved cardiovascular health knowledge and was associated with advancements in the stages of change toward the action and maintenance phases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural and Remote Nursing)
8 pages, 199 KiB  
Article
Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations on Rural Population Health Outcomes
by Judith Ortiz, Richard Hofler, Angeline Bushy, Yi-ling Lin, Ahmad Khanijahani and Andrea Bitney
Healthcare 2018, 6(2), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6020065 - 15 Jun 2018
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 32455
Abstract
Background: For decades, U.S. rural areas have experienced shortages of primary care providers. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are helping to reduce that shortage. However, NP scope of practice regulations vary from state-to-state ranging from autonomous practice to direct physician oversight. The purpose of this [...] Read more.
Background: For decades, U.S. rural areas have experienced shortages of primary care providers. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are helping to reduce that shortage. However, NP scope of practice regulations vary from state-to-state ranging from autonomous practice to direct physician oversight. The purpose of this study was to determine if clinical outcomes of older rural adult patients vary by the level of practice autonomy that states grant to NPs. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from a sample of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) (n = 503) located in eight Southeastern states. Independent t-tests were performed for each of five variables to compare patient outcomes of the experimental RHCs (those in “reduced practice” states) to those of the control RHCs (in “restricted practice” states). Results: After matching, no statistically significant difference was found in patient outcomes for RHCs in reduced practice states compared to those in restricted practice states. Yet, expanded scope of practice may improve provider supply, healthcare access and utilization, and quality of care (Martsolf et al., 2016). Conclusions: Although this study found no significant relationship between Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) scope of practice and select patient outcome variables, there are strong indications that the quality of patient outcomes is not reduced when the scope of practice is expanded. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural and Remote Nursing)
10 pages, 569 KiB  
Article
Impact of Standardized Prenatal Clinical Training for Traditional Birth Attendants in Rural Guatemala
by Sasha Hernandez, Jessica Oliveira, Leah Jones, Juan Chumil and Taraneh Shirazian
Healthcare 2018, 6(2), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6020060 - 09 Jun 2018
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4122
Abstract
In low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), traditional birth attendant (TBA) training programs are increasing, yet reports are limited on how those programs affect the prenatal clinical abilities of trained TBAs. This study aims to assess the impact of clinical training on TBAs before and after [...] Read more.
In low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), traditional birth attendant (TBA) training programs are increasing, yet reports are limited on how those programs affect the prenatal clinical abilities of trained TBAs. This study aims to assess the impact of clinical training on TBAs before and after a maternal health-training program. A prospective observational study was conducted in rural Guatemala from March to December 2017. Thirteen participants conducted 116 prenatal home visits. Data acquisition occurred before any prenatal clinical training had occurred, at the completion of the 14-week training program, and at six months post program completion. The paired t-test and McNemar’s test was used and statistical analyses were performed with R Version 3.3.1. There was a statistically significant improvement in prenatal clinical skills before and after the completion of the training program. The mean percentage of prenatal skills done correctly before any training occurred was 25.8%, 62.3% at the completion of the training program (p-value = 0.0001), and 71.0% after six months of continued training (p-value = 0.034). This study highlights the feasibility of prenatal skill improvement through a standardized and continuous clinical training program for TBAs. The improvement of TBA prenatal clinical skills could benefit indigenous women in rural Guatemala and other LMICs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural and Remote Nursing)
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10 pages, 208 KiB  
Article
Under the Same Sky: Connecting Students and Cultures through Circumpolar Nursing Education
by Bente Norbye, Lorna Butler and Heather Exner-Pirot
Healthcare 2018, 6(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6020050 - 21 May 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4434
Abstract
The recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural, remote, and northern regions is an ongoing challenge. The Northern Nursing Education Network brought together nursing students working in rural and remote regions of the circumpolar north in Innovative Learning Institute on Circumpolar Health [...] Read more.
The recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural, remote, and northern regions is an ongoing challenge. The Northern Nursing Education Network brought together nursing students working in rural and remote regions of the circumpolar north in Innovative Learning Institute on Circumpolar Health (ILICH) events to create opportunities for shared learning and expose both students and faculty to local and traditional knowledge that informs health behaviors specific to regions with Indigenous populations. Using participant experience data extracted from program discussions, evaluations, and reflective notes conducted after ILICH events held in 2015–2017, this paper explores how these two-week institutes can contribute to knowledge that is locally relevant yet transferable to rural areas across the circumpolar north. The findings clustered around experiences related to (1) Language as a barrier and an enabler; (2) shared values and traditions across borders; (3) differences and similarities in nursing practice; (4) new perspectives in nursing; and (5) building sustainable partnerships. Students learned more about their own culture as well as others by exploring the importance of language, cultures, and health inequity on different continents. Shared values and traditional knowledge impacted student perspectives of social determinants of health that are highly relevant for nurses working in the circumpolar north. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural and Remote Nursing)
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