Abstract
Abstract Introduction The aim of this article was to collect and analyseif/how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the practice of rural nurses'from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Methods This qualitative study involved nine rural nurse paticipants from New Zealand. All participants engaged with an individual zoom interview, during the pandemic lockdown. The interviews were conducted and audio recorded with the first author, guided by a set number of questions. The interviews were edited and produced as a podcast before being played on a local radio station in New Zealand.Thematic analysis was used to analyse theedited recorded podcast interviews. Results During COVID-19 rural nurses' became welfare providers and community educators, they upskilled their practice and worked at a distance. They were effective communicators and collaborators with their health practitioner colleagues and members of the rural communities. Equally, health disparities, vulnerable populations, economic dynamics and community resiliance were noted as was the rural nurses' pioneering spirit. Discussion The COVID-19 pandemic placed heightened demands on rural nurses and thus, potentially demanded changes in practice. Recognition has been given to compare whether the pioneering spirit associated with rural nursing practice, initially in the 1990s has continued in a similar vein, identified in the larger research project was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings have further lead us to reflect on lessons learnt from nurses' experiences and practice associated with the New Zealand 1918 flu pandemic.
Highlights
The aim of this article was to collect and analyseif/how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the practice of rural nurses’from Aotearoa, New Zealand
The second aim was to compare whether the pioneering spirit has continued in a similar vein as to the changing socio-political and economic contexts in a time of significant change identified in the larger research project was evident during the COVID-19 pandemicin New Zealand and reflecting on lessons learnt from nurses’ experiences and practice associated to the 1918 flu pandemic
The following analysed sections have been separated for ease of presentation into Rural Nursing Practice and Rural Communities that compare, highlight and demonstrate the potential areas of continuity, change and ongoing development of the provision of healthcare by nurses in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Summary
The aim of this article was to collect and analyseif/how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the practice of rural nurses’from Aotearoa, New Zealand. The previous three decades was of interest to the original researchers as this was a time of significant changing political health-care landscape and adapting provision of heath care including new models of nursing practice [1]. Did local responses - in particular rural nurses’ responding to changing health needs and adapting their practice to accommodate this change. Their stories published in Stories of Nursing in Rural Aotearoa: A Landscape of Care [1] illustrate their innovative responses to a variety of challenges. The most critical members of the population are, older people, those who have ongoing chronic respiratory conditions, while those who are immunocompromised while the indigenous populations of New Zealand and USA are at higher risk of becoming severely ill
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