The gate still swings both ways in rural Texas

Aims  To give nurse managers a perspective of what it is like to practice in a frontier or rural setting without the resources of the metropolitan centres. Background  I grew up in rural Texas and more recently had the opportunity to work with rural hospitals seeking to be designated as Nurse Friendly by the Texas Nurses Association. This renewed my interest in and great respect for nurses on the frontier and other rural areas. Key issues  This article summarizes some characteristics of rural nursing in relation to their practices that address patient safety and quality of care, nurse satisfaction and balanced life style, community service, and teamwork/relationships. Conclusions  I conclude that there are many advantages and satisfactions in rural nursing that are different from but equally as meaningful and challenging as metro nursing practice. Implications for nursing management  This article is important because there is a shortage of nurses everywhere; however, direct care nurses and nurse managers in rural areas may have greater challenges in meeting their patient’s needs while balancing their personal lives.