Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, Volume 5, Number 1, Spring 2005

What Rural Nursing Stories Are You Living?

Kay Rosenthal

Abstract


This article illuminates the lived experience of rural generalist nurses who work in an acute care hospital with less than twenty-five beds located in a mountain setting. Interviews of eight nurses were analyzed to develop a metatheme "Rural Nursing: Flowing Like A River" and four themes, which emerged from the data. The themes included: Going With the Flow: Fluid Role; Fish Out of Water: Expert to Novice; Still Waters Run Deep: Self Reliance; and Life in a Fish Bowl: Contextual Knowledge of Patients. Stories were co-created by the researcher; one, "Code Blue Boots," is included.

Full Text: PDF