‘Rural nursing is the heart of healthcare in small communities’

‘Rural nursing is the heart of healthcare in small communities’

Community placements offer nursing students from any field an opportunity to step outside the walls of hospitals and into the heart of patient care in their home environments.

These placements are more than a tick-box requirement in a nursing degree; they are a transformative experience that shapes compassionate, skilled, and holistic practitioners.

“The current curriculum does not adequately address rural populations’ unique challenges and needs with regard to healthcare”

Inequalities in rural areas are becoming more recognised, not least of which is the challenge rural communities face when accessing healthcare services. Limited transportation, fewer medical facilities, and a shortage of health professionals mean that many individuals struggle to get the care they need when required.

Communication demands flexible and innovative approaches to secure Wi-Fi/4G for calls or digital resources. These barriers can result in delayed diagnoses, poorer health outcomes, and a higher prevalence of chronic illnesses.

Beyond these logistical challenges, rural populations are also impacted by broader socioeconomic factors. Restricted access to education, economic instability, and limited opportunities for health promotion/health and wellbeing initiatives all play a role in shaping the health and wellbeing of these communities.

Understanding these interconnected challenges is essential for healthcare providers to deliver care that makes a difference.

In Northern Ireland, the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016 places a legal obligation on all government departments, including the Department of Health, to formally consider the needs of rural populations when developing policy.

This ensures that rural communities are not overlooked in critical decision-making processes. However, no such consideration seems to be given when it comes to student nurse training.

The current curriculum does not adequately address rural populations’ unique challenges and needs with regard to healthcare, thereby leaving a significant gap in the preparation of future nurses to serve these communities effectively.

The principles of the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016 raise the question of why nurse training is treated any differently. Rural populations face distinct barriers to healthcare, and their needs should be embedded into the education of student nurses.

“Nurses and student nurses play a vital role in improving the health and wellbeing of rural populations”

By integrating rural health into the curriculum, nursing students can be better equipped to deliver equitable, compassionate, and effective care in some of the most underserved areas.

Nurses and student nurses play a vital role in improving the health and wellbeing of rural populations. Educating communities, promoting preventative care, and advocating for improved services can help bridge the gaps in rural healthcare. Farmers, in particular, are often overlooked despite being the backbone of society. Their unique health requirements can go unnoticed or unaddressed in mainstream healthcare approaches.

Farmers face a trinity of physical, occupational and mental health challenges, which take their toll and are worsened by financial pressures, government regulations, isolation, and the stigma surrounding mental health.

As a Rural Health Committee member at Queen’s University Belfast with a family farming background, I’ve seen first-hand the urgent need to break these barriers and improve access to support.

Many, especially men, avoid seeking help due to cultural norms, and this harmful stereotype prevents many from accessing the support they need, leading to delays in intervention and worsening health outcomes.

The pervasive stigma around mental health often leaves individuals feeling they have to suffer in silence, further isolating them from the care they need.

Community placements are critical in addressing these gaps. By meeting people in their own environments, student nurses gain a deeper understanding of the specific issues experienced by farmers and other rural residents. These placements also provide an opportunity to engage directly with individuals, break down stigma, and encourage open conversations about physical and mental health.

For the future of rural healthcare, it’s essential that student nurse training reflects the unique needs of these communities. Farmers’ health and well-being must be prioritised, and tackling mental health stigma should be a key part of this effort.

By preparing student nurses to address these challenges, we can ensure they are equipped to make a real difference in rural areas, supporting not just individuals but entire communities.

These community placements offer student nurses an invaluable chance to learn, grow and connect. One of the most profound benefits of community placements is the chance to see patients as individuals, not just conditions or diagnoses.

Visiting someone in their home and home environment provides a window into their life, family dynamics, living conditions, and daily challenges.

This deeper understanding fosters the kind of compassion that lies at the heart of nursing. It also reinforces the importance of individualised and person-centred care, as solutions that work in a clinical setting may not always fit neatly into a patient’s everyday life.

Rural nursing is the heart of healthcare in small communities, where compassion travels miles and every patient feels like family.

Graham Gibson is a third-year adult nursing student at Queen’s University Belfast and Nursing Times student editor 2024-25

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