Rural Nursing Workforce

Link	View Research Recap
Date	12/2021
Description	Urban nurses, on average, earn nearly $4,500 more per year than rural nurses. This Recap on the rural nursing workforce explores RN-to-BSN education programs, nurse practitioners as primary care providers, job preparedness and satisfaction, and rural challenges.
Topics	Nurses and nurse practitioners, Workforce

Rural Health Research Products Included in this Recap

• Factors Associated With Perceived Job Preparedness Among RNs: Results From a National Survey
  Journal Article
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2020
  This article examines perceived job preparedness by demographic and professional characteristics among practicing registered nurses who completed a national survey. Rural and male nurses felt less prepared for nursing practice and may benefit from tailored educational experiences to improve perceptions of being prepared for the workforce.
• A National Survey of RN-to-BSN Programs: Are They Reaching Rural Students?
  Journal Article
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2020
  This study used a national survey of RN-to-BSN programs to better understand their potential role in addressing disparities in BSN-prepared nurses in rural and urban areas. The results are needed to inform policymakers and stakeholders who are responsible for addressing the status and needs of nursing education.
• Nurse Practitioner Autonomy and Complexity of Care in Rural Primary Care
  Journal Article
  University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 07/2020
  The increasing number of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the rural U.S. has the potential to help alleviate primary care shortages. Using a nationwide source of claims and Electronic Health Record data from 2017, this study constructs measures of NP clinical autonomy and complexity of care.
• Perceived Facilitators and Barriers to Rural Nursing Practice
  Policy Brief
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 08/2019
  A web-based survey was disseminated to a geographically diverse sample of nurses throughout the U.S. to assess perceived barriers and facilitators to nursing practice; job satisfaction; and self-identified challenges in nursing work environments and patient care. Of particular interest were nurses in ambulatory care practices.
• RN-to-BSN Programs: Challenges for Rural Nurse Education
  Policy Brief
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2019
  To ascertain the status of rural-focused nursing education, we surveyed registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing (RN-to-BSN) programs. Using an American Association of Colleges of Nursing mailing list, surveys were mailed to all schools with RN-to-BSN programs. This report summarizes responses from the 237 that completed surveys.
• Rural Registered Nurses: Educational Preparation, Workplace, and Salary
  Policy Brief
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2019
  Using national data from census data from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample, this brief looks at the reported education levels and worksites of rural and urban registered nurses.
• Supply and Distribution of the Primary Care Workforce in Rural America: 2019
  Policy Brief
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2020
  Maintaining an adequate supply of primary care providers in the U.S. is one of the key challenges in rural healthcare. This study examines the 2019 supply and geographic distribution of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants across rural areas of the U.S.