Rural Nursing, 6th Edition

This is a valuable textbook and resource for those serving the healthcare needs in rural and frontier areas. It focuses on the health of rural dwellers, the provision of healthcare in rural settings, and the skills and knowledge required for effective nursing practice, education, and research within this context. The sixth edition contains ten new chapters, content on the effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on rural populations, seminal chapters on Rural Nursing Theory and rural nursing, and updated chapters retained from previous editions. The text is divided into five sections. Section 1 focuses on theory and research and presents an overview of the theory development process and the seminal work on Rural Nursing Theory. It includes rural nursing concepts, and chapters on conducting research in rural and frontier settings. Section 2 describes the nature and scope of rural nursing practice and expands one’s understanding of the experiences of rural nurses and nurse practitioners. Section 3 focuses on healthcare delivery in rural settings and includes chapters on health behavior, suicide, nurses as primary care providers, emergency services, telehealth, palliative care, and complementary and alternative therapy use by rural dwellers. Section 4 addresses education and provides insight into learning opportunities in rural clinical settings; interprofessional, collaborative, and transcultural service-learning education; and the skills and competencies nurses and nurse practitioners need to care for rural populations. Section 5 focuses on the care of select vulnerable populations including migrant and seasonal workers, neonates experiencing opiate withdrawal, palliative and end-of-life care for American Indians, and the conduct of research with vulnerable populations. The book highlights the realities of rural nursing from bedside to advanced practice. It not only identifies the challenges, but also highlights opportunities in rural healthcare and innovative practice.