What do graduate registered nurses want from jobs in rural/remote Australian communities?

Abstract

To explore and describe the needs of new graduate registered nurses in a rural and remote (R&R) setting within Australia. 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. Literature was used to evaluate the graduate registered nurses' needs in R&R communities. 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. 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. 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.