Rural/remote nursing, skills/education required?

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I am a psych RN in eastern Canada, graduated 2006 and went straight to psych. I work acute psych and have also done a little crisis response and in-patient addictions (detox). I have been looking to make a change and a classmate/friend suggested I might do well in remote nursing. I am seeking the input of current of former rural/remote nurses to help me determine what nursing knowledge I need to refresh/acquire. I am doing a quick self-study refresh of basic nursing knowledge (patho, assessment, clinical skills review, etc) but I would like direction from experienced nurses on what extra or advanced topics I should look at. I know there are remote nursing courses available, but would like to self-study a bit before enrolling in one of those.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Moved to Nursing in Canada forum to elicit further targeted response as rural nursing in US generally means farms, perhaps Appalachia whereas Canadian rural/remote nursing has a very different connotation. Good luck in your aspirations.

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Sounds like you are on the right track reviewing patho, assessment and clinical skills. I don't know if you are aware but Canadian Association of Rural and Remote Nursing website has informative fact sheets, documents and articles.

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Specializes in AC, LTC, Community, Northern Nursing.

It all depends on where you are interested in.. You are on the right track.. But you also need to assess what kind of remote/rural nursing you are considering. For example working in nunavut you would also need to know the cosy of living in that area and the specific health concerns of that population (diabetes, htn, addiction) .. Also depending on how remote u go you need to assess what your mental health can handle.. Let me know if u have any questions i am currently more south then i have been but i am in northern ontario in moose factory.. I used to be on a reserve more north

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Thanks for the move admins!

I have applied for a position in central/northern Manitoba, I have a friend who works there. He says it's a steep learning curve but ultimately very rewarding. As he described it, you do it all. Everything from population health promotion to infant immunization to medical emergencies sometimes required medevac, and everything else in between. That's all a lot more than I ever did in psych, and I want to make myself as prepared as I possibly can in the event I am interviewed. So I am doing the basics, but I am looking for direction as to what "advanced" nursing knowledge I need to cover that we would not normally get as staff RNs. Something like "you need to read this this and this." Thanks for the input!

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I work near many native reserves in a remote location, so understanding the culture and health issues specific to the population you're working with is important.

Also, you need to be able to function independently and think on your feet. Sometimes, you're IT in a rural location. We've had seasoned nurses as well as newer nurses come and leave in a hurry because they couldn't handle the workload or the isolation. Something to consider.

I've had some great experiences, but I've been working rural for almost three years. I've had my fill....now waiting it out to move to the city. The major problem I've found with rural is the staffing, which is worse than the city, because you're already working with a skeleton crew on a good day.

Try signing with an agency so you can try out a few locations.

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