Know your Context
Description of knowing your context as a recruitment and retention strategy.
Overview
Recruitment and retention of rural doctors is influenced by personal factors such as rural background, career intent and service orientation. Rural training, rural curricular content, and rural student clinical rotations also influence retention of rural doctors.
How to Implement
Success Factors
Community engagement and personal relationships are powerful motivators for retention. Many professionals either grew up rurally or were attracted to a rural lifestyle, and those who are parents also felt that it was a good place to raise their children.
Challenges
While personal factors are not modifiable, communities can nevertheless play a role in attracting health workers by promoting their region, developing economic and educational infrastructure and fostering culture that supports these values.
Lack of employment opportunities for spouses; perceived inadequate quality of secondary schools; age related issues (retirement, desire for younger peer social interaction, and intention to travel); limited opportunity for career advancement; unmanageable workloads; and inadequate access to Continuous Professional Development. CPD is not just to refresh skills but for professional stimulation.
‘Push’ factors in the personal domain included insufficient community infrastructure such as transportation, secondary schools, access to shops and jobs for spouses. Access to adequate accommodation was also a concern in more remote regions.
Evidence Base
Chisholm, M., Russell, D., & Humphreys, J. (2011). Measuring rural allied health workforce turnover and retention: What are the patterns, determinants and costs?. Australian Journal Of Rural Health, 19(2), 81-88. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1584.2011.01188.x
Connected to the following framework elements
- Community engagement
- Supporting spouses / families