For those used to the fast-paced world of urban or suburban healthcare, working in a rural area holds a completely different type of atmosphere and work setting. You might imagine yourself working in a sleepy town with little going on. In reality, working in rural nursing is an opportunity that you may cherish receiving. In fact, you might find that you prefer nursing in rural areas much more than urban or suburban areas. 

The Difficulties of Rural Nursing

Travel nursing in any area, rural and urban, will prove challenging in some aspects. When working as a rural nurse, you may find yourself given many tasks that you aren’t accustomed to. The fact of the matter is that often, in rural settings, healthcare providers will have fewer resources and staffing available than an urban setting. A lot more will fall upon your shoulders, like working more hours due to a small staff or working without receiving much training. You will also find that your wages will be less than they would be in an urban environment. 

While some rural areas may have some diversity to the forms of healthcare provided, most rely on general practice for many different types of health issues. This means that you will have to become accustomed to working as a general practitioner and a specialist. In some cases, you may have to go back to your med-school books to understand a broader range of health issues that you haven’t focused on before. 

Helping a rural community can easily become stressful. The different pressures of nursing in rural areas can make it much easier for you to experience burnout. It’s no wonder, considering how much more demands are being placed upon you. Even so, rural nursing can still prove to be much more rewarding than urban nursing. 

The Rewards of Rural Nursing 

Travel nursing in an urban area means that you are working with many different people in a day that you may never see again. All of these faces can easily blur away, but in a rural community, you will often see the same faces again and again. One of the biggest rewards of nursing in rural areas will be the relationships that you develop with your patients. Building a relationship (within the correct boundaries) with patients not only makes you a part of their community but makes helping them out even more rewarding. 

Patients who come to know you will know who to thank when they are feeling better. Sometimes, you may be greeted by a small token of their appreciation, such as home-baked goods, flowers, or a letter of thanks. Instead of seeing a patient once and never hearing about their progress again, you will be able to watch your patient progress. Receiving a heartfelt thanks and watching a patient recover are great feelings that will make you feel good about your work. 

In addition to a better relationship with patients, working in travel nursing in a rural area will give you far more independence. Doctors will rely on you for much more. This may seem intimidating at first, but you will come to find that this simply means that the doctors in your practice value your opinion much more. Not only that but having more freedom as a nurse will give you confidence and a lot of experience. 

Questions about Travel Nursing? 

After finding out about the advantages and disadvantages to travel nursing in a rural area, you may find that you have questions. With our help, you can find the answers you seek. If you are unable to find the answers you seek with our online sources, we are always ready for your call at either one of our locations.