Comparison of the Continuing Education Needs of Rural and Urban Long-Term Care Nurses

Abstract

This article reports on the comparison of the continuing education needs of long-term care nurses employed in rural and urban facilities. A total of 276 licensed nurses responded to a mailed survey requesting information on demographic characteristics and continuing education program preferences. The nurses who worked in rural facilities were older, less likely to have worked in other nursing homes, had less formal training in the care of older persons, and were more likely to be white. Urban and rural long-term care nurses agreed on the importance of some topics and differed on others. Neither rural nor urban nurses received much administrative support for attending continuing education programs. These findings have implications for the continuing education provider and for the nursing home industry as it competes for highly skilled nurses in an increasingly competitive market.