What Rural Nursing Stories Are You Living?

Abstract

This article illuminates the lived experience of rural generalist nurses who work in an acute care hospital with less than twenty-five beds located in a mountain setting. Interviews of eight nurses were analyzed to develop a metatheme "Rural Nursing: Flowing Like A River" and four themes, which emerged from the data. The themes included: Going With the Flow: Fluid Role; Fish Out of Water: Expert to Novice; Still Waters Run Deep: Self Reliance; and Life in a Fish Bowl: Contextual Knowledge of Patients. Stories were co-created by the researcher; one, "Code Blue Boots," is included.