RHCW is currently focusing on three main research projects, however its research portfolio is organic and will be evolving over time as research gaps and sector needs emerge.

In addition, this website will contain a repository of interesting research and strategic documents relating to Rural Health and Social Care.

Current RHCW Research Projects:

Research Project 1: The Recruitment and Retention of Health and Social Care professionals in Rural Wales

This research, which has recently commenced, will seek to:

• Identify current gaps and future anticipated gaps in health and social care workforce recruitment and appointments in rural areas
• Identify model programs for planning workforce and recruitment needs at community, county and national levels

Develop a best practice document on recruitment and retention of health and social care professionals in rural areas

Research Project 2: The Education, Training and Continuous Professional Development of Health and Social Care Professionals in Rural areas

This extensive area of research will seek to:

• Scope the current education, training and research provision in Wales as relevant to rural health and social care
• Identify the skills required by a professional health and social care workforce to effectively work in rural areas
• Scope the current provision of skills of health and social care professionals in rural areas
• Recognise gaps in current skills / workforce provision and identify training / action required to remedy
• Research new trends in workforce development for health and social care professionals working in rural areas

Develop a best practice document on education, training and CPD for health and social care professionals working in rural areas

Research Project 3:  Nursing Workforce Challenges in Rural Areas of Developed Countries

For some health providers in developed countries, ensuring an adequate nursing workforce is exacerbated by rural geography, where chronic staff shortages, together with rural recruitment and retention difficulties, pose significant challenges in respect of their ability to deliver quality patient care.

Rural Health and Care Wales is part-funding a PhD student at Aberystwyth University to undertake research on the workforce challenges facing nurses in rural areas. The research has been broken down into three areas of study:

Study 1 will determine if there is a relationship between where nurses work in relation to the location of their childhood upbringing and where they trained as nurses.

Study 2 will examine perceptions of the barriers and facilitators facing rural nursing in Mid Wales.

Study 3 will build on previous findings in order to develop a deeper understanding of the core issues identified in studies 1 and 2.

An investigation into the recruitment and retention challenges facing nurses in rural areas of Mid Wales will add to the evidence base surrounding the rural health care debate and it is anticipated that the results of this study could influence staffing delivery models on the international stage.

If you are conducting, or know of previously conducted, research that may be of interest to RHCW, please contact Anna Prytherch, RHCW Project Manager.