BackgroundIn Canada, as in other parts of the world, there is geographic maldistribution of the nursing workforce, and insufficient attention is paid to the strengths and needs of those providing care in rural and remote settings. In order to inform workforce planning, a national study, Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada II, was conducted with the rural and remote regulated nursing workforce (registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed or registered practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses) with the intent of informing policy and planning about improving nursing services and access to care. In this article, the study methods are described along with an examination of the characteristics of the rural and remote nursing workforce with a focus on important variations among nurse types and regions.MethodsA cross-sectional survey used a mailed questionnaire with persistent follow-up to achieve a stratified systematic sample of 3822 regulated nurses from all provinces and territories, living outside of the commuting zones of large urban centers and in the north of Canada.ResultsRural workforce characteristics reported here suggest the persistence of key characteristics noted in a previous Canada-wide survey of rural registered nurses (2001-2002), namely the aging of the rural nursing workforce, the growth in baccalaureate education for registered nurses, and increasing casualization. Two thirds of the nurses grew up in a community of under 10 000 people. While nurses’ levels of satisfaction with their nursing practice and community are generally high, significant variations were noted by nurse type. Nurses reported coming to rural communities to work for reasons of location, interest in the practice setting, and income, and staying for similar reasons. Important variations were noted by nurse type and region.ConclusionsThe proportion of the rural nursing workforce in Canada is continuing to decline in relation to the proportion of the Canadian population in rural and remote settings. Survey results about the characteristics and practice of the various types of nurses can support workforce planning to improve nursing services and access to care.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12960-017-0209-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In rural, remote, and northern parts of Canada, the pre-existing vulnerability and risk for intimate partner violence has been exacerbated by COVID-19. The purpose of this commentary is to identify the unique impact of COVID-19 on intimate partner violence both in terms of the bearing on those experiencing abuse and on the service sector in rural, remote and northern communities where the rates of intimate partner violence and intimate partner femicide pre-pandemic are higher than in larger cities. The recommendations offered in this paper include enhanced safety planning, alternate housing for victims fleeing violence, and suggestions for service providers. We also offer ways to move forward with further research in the COVID-19 era.

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Kommunikasjon er viktig i utøvelsen av god omsorg. Formålet med denne studien er å utforske hvordan samer beskriver kommunikasjon i møte med helsepersonell når de snakker om helse, sykdom og omsorg og i tillegg hvilke faktorer de utpeker som viktige i denne konteksten. Elleve semi-strukturerte intervju ble gjennomført på samisk og transkribert til norsk. Det var både menn (n=2) og kvinner (n=9), yngre og eldre som alle hadde vaert enten pasienter eller pårørende, eller begge deler, i møte med helsepersonell. Våre funn viser at samer kommuniserer på en sirkulaer, unik måte der de 'snakker rundt grøten' om helse spørsmål og at det er viktig med god tid i samtalen. Helsepersonell må vaere klar over at dette når de spør om direkte, private og sensitive spørsmål. Deltagerne i studien sier at å bruke samisk språk i møte med helsepersonell uttrykker en bekreftelse av deres samiske identitet, og at det er påkrevd med tolk når man skal diskutere helsespørsmål med helsepersonell.Spørsmålet om hvem som egentlig tenger tolk ble snudd om, til å gjelde helsepersonellet. Det er ikke de samiske pasientene som trenger tolk, det er helsepersonellet som gjennom lovverket er pålagt å gi likeverdige helsetjenester og informasjon på en måte som pasientene oppfatter og forstår konsekvensene av. Tolketjenesten er på plass for å hjelpe helsepersonell til å utføre sine lovpålagte oppgaver for samiske pasienter. Bruk av samisk språk i utøvelsen av pleie-og omsorg bidrar til å gi sikkerhet og respekt for samiske pasienter, noe som og fremmer helsen i et trygt miljø.

Background : Citizens of Norway have free and equal access to healthcare. Nurses are expected to be culturally sensitive and have cultural knowledge in encounters with patients. Culturally safe care is considered both a process and an outcome, evaluated by whether the patients feel safe, empowered and cared for, or not. All patients request equal access to quality care in Norway, also Sami patients. Objectives : The aim of the study is to identify whether Sami patients and relatives feel culturally safe in encounters with healthcare, and if not, what are the main concerns. Methods : This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews in the North Sami language, with 11 North Sami participants.The transcribed data were analysed through a lens of cultural safety by content analysis. Findings : Data analysis explicated themes including: use of Sami language, Sami identity and cultural practices, connections to positive health outcomes to enhance cultural safe care and well-being for North-Sami people encountering the Norwegian health-care system. Conclusion : Culturally safe practices at the institutional, group and individual levels are essential to the well-being of Sami people. An engagement in culturally safe practices will facilitate (or) fulfil political and jurisdictional promises made to the Sami people, consequently improving positive impact of healthcare.