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In this presentation, we will explore the experiences of new graduate nurses working in rural and remote areas. Rural nursing is gaining more recognition as a complex and challenging area to work. Various challenges exist for new nursing graduates; however, less is known about the rural new graduate nurse experience. This presentation scratches the surface of the novice graduate experience with three meta-themes identified: professional, organizational, and personal realities. The hope is that once these experiences are further understood, we can then identify areas in which we can support these nurses to be successful and thrive in rural communities; thereby, improving recruitment and retention. Our northern communities are ideally positioned to explore this phenomenon.

Anika Brookhart is an ocean- and music-loving prankster who grew up in remote villages on Vancouver Island. It was here where she began to love rural and remote life and the accompanying community camaraderie. In those communities, she recognized disparities in health care provision, and she decided to become a registered nurse to help alleviate those gaps in rural areas. In 2008, she graduated from UNBC with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and completed her Master of Nursing: Nurse Educator Program at the University of Victoria in 2016.  She worked in Vanderhoof, BC for Northern Health as a rural registered nurse for eight years. During her time in Vanderhoof, she developed a passion for teaching, mentorship and rural nursing.  In January, Anika joined the faculty of UNBC as a Senior Lab Instructor for the Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program-Terrace campus.

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