Choosing to practice in rural dietetics: What factors influence that decision?

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Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to identify those factors that influence the decision of a dietitian to consider working in a rural area. Design: A qualitative design using focus groups was chosen for this study to allow for in-depth data to be obtained. Setting: University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus. Subjects: Twenty-three students/new graduates from the Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition and Dietetics) degree at the University of Newcastle. Main Outcome Measures: Not applicable, this project was an exploratory study. Results: A number of factors that influence the decision of dietetic students and newly graduated dietitians to consider working in a rural area were identified. These fell into the following main thematic areas: job prospects; rural lifestyle; comfort zones; support networks; promotion opportunities/professional development; type of work/work role; rural needs; and time frame. Conclusions: The present study found that choosing a location to work (whether it be a rural one or not) is a complex process and involves a number of interacting factors. Also those factors that may influence one dietitian to choose a career in a rural area may also be the factors that influence another dietitian not to choose a career in a rural area