Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2011 Feb 4;11:27. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-11-27.
In Canada, workforce shortages in the health care sector constrain the ability of the health care system to meet the needs of its population and of its health care professionals. This issue is of particular importance in peripheral regions of Quebec, where significant inequalities in workforce distribution between regions has lead to acute nursing shortages and increased workloads. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are innovative solutions that can be used to develop strategies to optimise the use of available resources and to design new nursing work practices. However, current knowledge is still limited about the real impact of ICTs on nursing recruitment and retention. Our aim is to better understand how work practice reorganization, supported by ICTs, and particularly by telehealth, may influence professional, educational, and organizational factors relating to Quebec nurses, notably those working in peripheral regions.
METHODS/DESIGN: First, we will conduct a descriptive study on the issue of nursing recruitment. Stratified sampling will be used to select approximately twenty innovative projects relating to the reorganization of work practices based upon ICTs. Semi-structured interviews with key informants will determine professional, educational, and organizational recruitment factors. The results will be used to create a questionnaire which, using a convenience sampling method, will be mailed to 600 third year students and recent graduates of two Quebec university nursing faculties. Descriptive, correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses will be performed to identify factors influencing nursing graduates' intentions to practice in peripheral regions. Secondly, we will conduct five case studies pertaining to the issue of nursing retention. Five ICT projects in semi-urban, rural, and isolated regions have been identified. Qualitative data will be collected through field observation and approximately fifty semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders.
Data from both parts of this research project will be jointly analysed using triangulation of researchers, theoretical approaches, methods, and results. Continuous exchanges with decision makers and periodic knowledge transfer activities are planned to facilitate the dissemination and utilization of research results in policies regarding the nursing recruitment and retention.
在加拿大，医疗保健行业的劳动力短缺限制了医疗保健系统满足其人口和医疗保健专业人员需求的能力。在魁北克的偏远地区，这一问题尤为重要，该地区不同地区之间劳动力分布的巨大不平等导致了严重的护理人员短缺和工作量增加。信息和通信技术（ICT）是可以用来制定策略优化可用资源利用并设计新护理工作实践的创新解决方案。然而，目前关于 ICT 对护理招聘和保留的实际影响的知识仍然有限。我们的目的是更好地了解由 ICT 支持的工作实践重组，特别是远程医疗，如何影响与魁北克护士相关的专业、教育和组织因素，特别是那些在偏远地区工作的护士。
方法/设计：首先，我们将对护理招聘问题进行描述性研究。将使用分层抽样选择大约二十个与基于 ICT 的工作实践重组相关的创新项目。对关键信息员进行半结构化访谈，以确定专业、教育和组织招聘因素。结果将用于创建一份问卷，该问卷将使用方便抽样法邮寄给两所魁北克大学护理学院的 600 名三年级学生和应届毕业生。将进行描述性、相关性和层次回归分析，以确定影响护理毕业生在偏远地区执业意愿的因素。其次，我们将对护理人员保留问题进行五项案例研究。已经确定了五个半城市、农村和偏远地区的 ICT 项目。将通过实地观察和对主要利益相关者的大约五十次半结构化访谈收集定性数据。
本研究项目两部分的数据将通过研究人员、理论方法、方法和结果的三角分析进行联合分析。计划与决策者进行持续的交流并定期进行知识转移活动，以促进有关护理招聘和保留政策中研究结果的传播和利用。
