This report provides an update of a documentary analysis of relevant reports (grey literature, government documents) regarding rural and remote nursing practice. For this report, nursing practice refers to practice performed by registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses. Our overall goal was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current policy environment and determine if, and how, it impacts nursing practice.

Rural populations tend to be poorer than those in urban areas — more than 30 percent of all food stamp recipients live in rural areas. Many citizens lack health insurance because their jobs do not provide coverage. Healthcare is often covered by programs such as Medicaid (for low-income individuals) and Medicare (for the elderly). Residents of underpopulated areas travel farther to get care and may even have difficulty finding transportation to clinics or hospitals.