No abstract

The availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services are critical factors in rural health service delivery. In Canada, the aging population and the consequent increase in prevalence of

Rural and remote registered nurses have moderately high levels of participation in continuing education; however, participation and job satisfaction can be improved if some of the barriers identified are addressed.

Providing more dementia care training and reducing job demands and job strain may help to reduce work-related stress and physical assault of nursing aides employed in nursing homes.

This study examines predictors of job satisfaction among rural acute care registered nurses. The data are from a cross-sectional national survey, which was part of a larger project, The Nature of Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada. This analysis suggests that a combination of individual, workplace, and community characteristics are interrelated predictors of job satisfaction for rural acute care nurses. There were nine variables that accounted for 38% of the total variance in job satisfaction. Four variables alone (available and up-to-date equipment and supplies, satisfaction with scheduling and shifts, lower psychological job demands, and home community satisfaction) explained 33% of the variance. Recruitment and retention strategies in rural areas must acknowledge that rural nurses' work lives and community lives are inextricably intertwined. Attention to these issues will help ensure high-quality working environments and a continued commitment to quality nursing care in the rural hospital settings in Canada.