Recruitment and retention of healthcare providers to rural environments is critical in order to meet the needs of individuals living in those communities and optimize patient outcomes. Rural providers face a number of challenges including minimal access to resources and technology, a diverse scope of practice, and limited opportunities for professional development. Rural healthcare providers often work alone and are unsupported in caring for patients, which can lead to job dissatisfaction, turnover, and lack of continuity of care for rural residents (Rohatinsky & Jahner, 2016).
Mentorship is one strategy known to improve recruitment and retention through professional growth and development in rural areas (Bourke, Waite, & Wright, 2014). Mentorship can be defined as a mutually beneficial, non-evaluative relationship between a more experienced person (mentor) and a less experienced person (mentee). Mentorship assists with professional development, confidence, competence, and decision making (Jarrell, 2016; Weese, Jakubik, Eliades, & Huth, 2015; Zhang, Qian, Wu, Wen, & Zhang, 2016). Mentorship is also positively correlated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment, which translates into increased retention of healthcare workers (Zhang et al., 2016).
Mentoring relationships in rural areas offer opportunities to promote professional well-being of healthcare providers and optimize patient outcomes. The rural healthcare environment can be drastically different than working in urban areas and the literature remains limited with regards to rural healthcare provider and senior leader perceptions of required resources and supports to foster and sustain mentorships in rural healthcare environments.
Purpose
The purpose of this project was to better understand what healthcare providers and senior leaders value in mentorship and determine the best way to implement a mentorship program in rural western Canada. The research questions addressed within this presentation are: i) What are the perceptions of healthcare providers and individuals in senior leaderships positions of same-profession mentorships in rural regions?; and ii) What factors and practices influence the development and sustainability of rural mentorships?
Methods
Healthcare providers and senior leaders were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling from within a rural health region in Canada. The health region serves a population of 44,576 people and a geographical area of 41,770 km2. The largest community within the region has a population of 5,000. Participants included healthcare providers (registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians), senior administrators, and front-line managers. These individuals were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide and data were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Results
Two themes of rural mentorship were derived from the interviews and were described as challenges and facilitators. Challenges were comprised of three categories including administrative, scope of practice, and interpersonal challenges. Facilitators were divided into four categories and included mentorship as a recruitment and retention tool, openness and commitment to mentorship, structured mentorship programs, and community influence on mentorship.
Implications for Nursing Administration and Practice
In order for successful rural mentorships to occur, mentorship initiatives need to be supported by all members of the organization including senior leaders, managers, clinical educators, and healthcare providers. While senior leaders, managers, and educators provide the foundation and supports necessary for mentorship to become a reality, the onus on and commitment of the providers involved is essential as well (Weese et al., 2015). In this presentation, strategies will be discussed to encourage mentorship commitment from employees at all levels within the organization.
Conclusion
Information provided within this presentation will allow administrators and healthcare providers to gain greater insight into implementing successful mentorship programs within rural environments. Healthcare provider professional development, recruitment, and retention can become a reality by supporting rural mentorship opportunities. Ultimately, positive patient outcomes can result from having adequate numbers of engaged and supported providers working in rural areas.