Date of Award

4-19-2010

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

First Advisor

Steven LeMire

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to identify factors that influenced nurses to work in a rural, 14-county region of NW Minnesota. Having a greater understanding of recruitment factors is important because high vacancy rates can be costly and adversely affect patient outcomes in rural communities. Vacancy rate estimates for the region in the present study ranged from 3.5% to 4.6% annually (among the highest for professions in Minnesota). In order to identify influential recruitment factors, a survey was developed that encompassed six domains: individual, community, finance, opportunity, affinity/exposure, and workload. The survey was administered to three hundred nurses randomly selected from the regional nursing population and 60% responded (n=181). Responses were analyzed overall and grouped into four career stages: exploration (0-2 years), establishment (3-5 years), maintenance (6-15 years) and disengagement (16 or more years). Findings revealed that across all career stages, nurses reported being drawn to positions that offered benefits, fit the hours desired, provided professional growth experiences, and were near family. Factors with little reported influence included participation in loan forgiveness programs, internships, financial aid obligations, personal connections from educational training experiences, and familiarity with recruiters. Additional analysis by career stage revealed that exploration stage nurses reported the influence of salary was second only to an opportunity to gain experience. For establishment stage nurses, a desire to live near family and work near their home community was most influential. For both groups (exploration and establishment), financial aid obligations and participation in loan forgiveness incentives were significantly more influential compared to later career stage nurses. Maintenance stage nurses reported that opportunities for career advancement, continuing education and meeting financial aid obligations were strong recruitment incentives; whereas disengagement career stage nurses reported the desire to live in a specific geographic area and job-related benefits. Both maintenance and disengagement career stage nurses reported that work hours were the most important. Findings from this study suggest that incorporating different recruitment approaches by career stage could be part of an effective recruitment strategy.

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