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Purpose: General self-efficacy, occupational self-efficacy, and grit have a correlation with academic and practical success amongst nursing students. The role of these same characteristics during the first 18-24 months following the transition from student to nurse is poorly understood. In addition, when a nursing graduate begins to consider a career in a rural area is also remains unclear. This study sought to understand the change, if any, in general selfefficacy, occupational self-efficacy, grit, and rural employment importance that occurred during this transition period. Sample: Nurses after graduating from a three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree (n=28). Method: A follow-up study of a larger longitudinal mixed-methods cohort design used a survey to examine general self-efficacy, occupational self-efficacy, grit, and rural employment importance among novice nurses. Participants had agreed when completing the initial study as students to participate in a follow-up study 18-24-months after graduating. Findings: Occupational self-efficacy increased as the cohort transitioned from student to professional nurse, while grit was remarkably lower between final year students and novice nurses. No change in earlier measures of general self-efficacy or importance placed on rural careers were detected. Conclusions: Following graduation, new clinicians are focused on building professional identity and the development of foundational skills for practice. Clinical agencies have an opportunity to shift the balance between autonomy and support in order to harness these key characteristics in an effort to improve the longevity and progression of nursing graduates within the nursing profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To evaluate the enablers, barriers and impact that communities of practice have on novice nurses and students learning to become registered nurses. Background: Communities of practice have formed the basis for conceptualising the process of learning that occurs among groups of people within a place of work—a mainstay of healthcare practice. There is a dearth of literature that focuses specifically on the outcomes from student and novice engagement with existing communities of practice. Design: Systematic review and Meta‐synthesis. Methods: MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, ProQuest, Scopus and PsycINFO databases were accessed between 1997–2019. The screening and selection of studies were based on eligibility criteria and methodological quality assessment using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool for qualitative research. Meta‐synthesis was grounded in the original experiences and collectively synthesised into meaningful themes. The review follows the PRISMA reporting guidelines and PRISMA checklist. Results: The findings highlight three major themes and included enablers for successful communities of practice, barriers to successful communities of practice, and success in action as described by students and novice nurses. Discussion: We suggest successful communities of practice occur when safe and supported spaces ensure students and novices feel comfortable to experiment with their learning, and we emphasise the benefits of having more novice nurses situated within close proximity and under the direct influence of the established practices of more experienced or core group of peers. Relevance to clinical practice: Communities of practice that function successfully create an environment that prioritises the embedding of novices into the broader group. In so doing, students and novice nurses feel supported, welcomed, empowered, and able to make the transition from student to colleague and novice nurse to more experienced nurse. It allows them to experiment with ever new ways of fulfilling the role, while aiding better clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rural health services in Australia are continually challenged by both the recruitment and retention of the nursing workforce. The aim of the study was to examine what nursing students consider the most important factors for undertaking a rural career in Australia. Methods: Nursing students (n=1,982) studying a three-year bachelor's degree at an Australian University were invited to complete an online survey that examined their rural practice intentions. The questionnaire included demographic, rural background and career intentions, and a modified Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire (NCAQ). Results: The factors identified most important among nursing students when considering rural practice include patient safety and high-quality care, having autonomy and respect from management, the establishment of positive relationships and good communication between different generations of nurses, and the work environment providing job satisfaction with good morale. Conclusions: This study provided insight for rural and regional universities and health services to better demonstrate what students indicate is important to take up rural practice, while highlighting unique challenges for the rural nursing workforce. Key elements are proposed that may be augmented at the university and health service level to guide recruitment and possibly retention. Rural recruitment and retention of new graduate nurses may be better achieved by addressing what nursing students feel are most important to them when considering rural practice, which are focused around management, decision-making, and practice environment factors rather than economic or community-based factors. The greatest importance to students is the 'fit between' them and the agency and much less about their 'fit with' the community into which they will be entering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To date, the Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire (NCAQ) has been effectively utilized to quantify resources and capabilities of a rural Idaho communities to recruit and retain nurses. As such, the NCAQ was used in a rural Australian context to examine its efficacy as an evidence-based tool to better inform nursing recruitment and retention. Sample: The sample included nursing administrators, senior nurses and other nurses from six health facilities who were familiar with the community and knowledgeable with health facility recruitment and retention history. Participants were registered nurses and/or directly involved in nursing recruitment. Method: The 50 factor NCAQ was administered online. Data were cleaned, checked, and analyzed by assigning quantitative values to the four-point scale of community advantages or challenges for each factor and then weighted according to the participant's perceived importance to create a community asset and capability measure. Higher scores represented more developed community assets and capabilities relating to nursing recruitment and retention. Findings: The findings demonstrate that lifestyle, emphasis on patient safety and high quality care, availability of necessary materials and equipment, perception of quality were among the highest scoring factors and considered to have the most impact on recruiting and retaining nurses. The lowest factors impacting recruitment and retention included spousal satisfaction, access to larger communities, and opportunities for social networking within communities. Conclusions: The implementation of the NCAQ has the capacity to offer health facilities and managers to examine what is appealing about the health service and community, while highlighting key challenges impacting recruitment and retention. The NCAQ assists health services to develop strategic plans tailored specifically to enhance recruitment and retention of nursing staff. Its use has the capacity to provide health services with greater evidence as they seek to address site specific or regional recruitment and retention issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This review sought to better understand the issues and challenges experienced by community nurses working in rural areas and how these factors shape their role. Methods: Databases were searched to identify relevant studies, published between 1990 and 2015, that focussed on issues and challenges experienced by rural community nurses. Generic and grey literature relating to the subject was also searched. The search was systematically conducted multiple times to assure accuracy. Results: A total of 14 articles met the inclusion criteria. This critical review identified common issues impacting community nursing and included role definition, organisational change, human resource, workplace and geographic challenges. Conclusion: Community nurses are flexible, autonomous, able to adapt care to the service delivery setting, and have a diversity of knowledge and skills. Considerably more research is essential to identify factors that impact rural community nursing practice. In addition, greater advocacy is required to develop the role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]