Recruit, Retain & Making it Work
Between 2011 and 2019, Recruit & Retain and Making it Work an international collaboration worked to identify and test solutions which address the challenges of recruiting and retaining health professionals in rural areas and produced a Framework to enable organisations to improve.
A framework for remote rural workforce stability
The framework consists of nine key strategic elements that fall into three sections:
Click here to view the Framework for Remote Rural Workforce Stability ('Making it Work' 2019)
Chief Executive at NHS Orkney, Laura Skaife-Knight
Video explaining the unique experiences and rewards of working in a rural island board.
Remote Workforce Stability
The Rural Advanced Practice professional role is extensive and challenging. Covering large geographical areas where work setting varies from patients’ homes, GP practices, community hospitals, care homes, urgent care centres and as a BASIC’s responder attending emergencies such as road accidents. Such unique settings obviously bring challenges e.g., driving significant distances on single track roads, or taking a boat ride to see patients, patchy mobile phone coverage, isolation from colleagues and sometimes family and inclement weather.
Maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries while integrating into rural communities can for some (with the intimacy of rural life) be stressful, particularly for staff moving from more urban settings. Living, learning and working together we can build community and professional resilience and wellbeing.
To enjoy and thrive in the Rural Advanced Practitioner role resilience and wellbeing are essential.
'Experiencing the joy' of working, living and retiring in a remote and rural community
