Sustainability of the workforce: Government policies and the rural fit

Abstract Objectives Critical workforce issues among health care workers have raised public concerns about the ability of health care systems to provide adequate service. Services, however, are influenced by geographical and social factors. One important source of variation is rurality. This study ev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health policy (Amsterdam) 2008-03, Vol.85 (3), p.372-379
Main Authors: Baumann, Andrea, Hunsberger, Mabel, Blythe, Jennifer, Crea, Mary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Canada
Health administration
Health care
Health care industry
Health Manpower - organization & administration
Health Manpower - standards
Health Policy
Health professionals
Health services
Human resources
Humans
Internal Medicine
Labour force
Medical personnel
Nursing services
Rural areas
Rural communities
Rural health services
Rural Health Services - manpower
Rural Health Services - standards
Sustainability
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Summary:Abstract Objectives Critical workforce issues among health care workers have raised public concerns about the ability of health care systems to provide adequate service. Services, however, are influenced by geographical and social factors. One important source of variation is rurality. This study evaluated the perception of the applicability of health human resource policies for rural areas. Methods An exploratory design was used. Twenty-one nurse administrators and 44 staff nurses from a sampling of 19 rural health care settings were interviewed. Hospitals with less than 100 beds were targeted. Results The government policies most frequently mentioned by study participants were the goal of 70% full-time employment, the new graduate policy and the late career initiative. Each presented challenges to managers attempting implementation. Urban bias is apparent in health care policy including health human resource policies. Little data is available about rural health care workers because health care statistics tend to be reported regionally. Conclusion Rural institutions have difficulty accessing government funding intended to build sustainable workforces. Policies meant to be broadly implemented across jurisdictions may not fit the needs of rural institutions and their clients. Health care databases should include a rural variable to enhance understanding about this population.
ISSN:0168-8510
1872-6054
DOI:10.1016/j.healthpol.2007.09.004