Jordyn Disbrow
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Research Mentor(s): Amanda Schutz
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Department of Internal Medicine / Medicine
Program: UROP
Session: Session 6 (3:40pm – 4:30pm)
Authors: Jordyn Disbrow, Nadia Taeckens, Amanda Schutz, Thomas Valley
Abstract
Background: Only ten percent of Veteran Affairs (VA) providers practice in rural communities, yet one third of all Veterans live in these communities. The clinical workforce in VA hospitals is aging, suffering from burnout, and recruiting to rural communities has been a struggle. Ensuring that rural VA hospitals have adequate staffing is necessary to provide high quality care for Veteran patients. Research Question: What reasons do VA staff give for leaving (or considering leaving) their positions in rural hospitals? What role does burnout play? What have VA administrators been doing to recruit and retain staff, and how can these strategies be improved? Study Design: A qualitative pilot study investigating these questions included field observations and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with staff at non-VA rural community hospitals (n=7) and interviews with staff at rural VA hospitals (n=3). Results: We transcribed and coded pilot interviews (n=10) in hopes of expanding our knowledge on the topic and producing a stronger research proposal, leading to a four-year study that will strengthen rural VA staff retention and recruitment. The objectives of this study were to 1) analyze all transcripts for any discussions of staff recruitment, retention, turnover, and burnout; and 2) see if any noteworthy differences emerge between VA and non-VA hospitals. Three major themes have emerged: 1) recruitment to rural VAs and community hospitals is limited by their location; 2) rural hospitals cannot compete with agency pay as travel nursing is gaining popularity; and 3) the recent passing of the Mission Act has impacted rural VA hospitals in unexpected ways. Interpretation: This analysis of pilot interviews with rural hospital staff will fill a critical knowledge gap about retention and recruitment in rural VA hospitals. We anticipate that the findings of this study have the potential to shape national policy and result in legislative changes to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce nationwide.
