Case Study Part 2

As you complete your three-month orientation and then begin your independent practice you decide that you want to raise awareness of the unique issues faced by nurses practicing in rural communities. As a nurse, you are aware of your responsibility for political advocacy, so you decide to take action by writing a letter to the local MPP and a letter to the editor of the CNA journal, Canadian Nurse, to raise awareness about this issue. You frame the issue of nurses having to serve many roles within rural communities which is made difficult by limited resources. Therefore, you are lobbying for funding to support e-health initiatives to increase support for nurses and accessibility for clients. E-health initiative can include video calling with physicians for consulting with nurses and possibly for consultations with clients to lessen the accessibility gap that many individuals within the community face. Within your letter to the editor, you also encourage your fellow nurses to become aware of these disparities faced by rural nurses and support lobbying bodies like the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s (RNAO) petition to the government.