Background: In Canada, as in other parts of the world, there is geographic maldistribution of the nursing\nworkforce, and insufficient attention is paid to the strengths and needs of those providing care in rural and remote\nsettings. In order to inform workforce planning, a national study, Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada II, was\nconducted with the rural and remote regulated nursing workforce (registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed\nor registered practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses) with the intent of informing policy and planning\nabout improving nursing services and access to care. In this article, the study methods are described along with an\nexamination of the characteristics of the rural and remote nursing workforce with a focus on important variations\namong nurse types and regions.\nMethods: A cross-sectional survey used a mailed questionnaire with persistent follow-up to achieve a stratified\nsystematic sample of 3822 regulated nurses from all provinces and territories, living outside of the commuting\nzones of large urban centers and in the north of Canada.\nResults: Rural workforce characteristics reported here suggest the persistence of key characteristics noted in a\nprevious Canada-wide survey of rural registered nurses (2001-2002), namely the aging of the rural nursing\nworkforce, the growth in baccalaureate education for registered nurses, and increasing casualization. Two\nthirds of the nurses grew up in a community of under 10 000 people. While nurses� levels of satisfaction with their\nnursing practice and community are generally high, significant variations were noted by nurse type. Nurses reported\ncoming to rural communities to work for reasons of location, interest in the practice setting, and income, and staying\nfor similar reasons. Important variations were noted by nurse type and region.\nConclusions: The proportion of the rural nursing workforce in Canada is continuing to decline in relation to the\nproportion of the Canadian population in rural and remote settings. Survey results about the characteristics\nand practice of the various types of nurses can support workforce planning to improve nursing services and\naccess to care.
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