Advanced Practice Nurses, Physician Assistants, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in Rural Colorado: Why Choose Rural Medicine?
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Authors
Schmidt, Erika
Issue Date
2025-09
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
rural medicine , nurse practitioner , physician assistant , Business, Engineering, Science, & Technological Innovation , Healthcare Innovation & Delivery
Alternative Title
Abstract
The problem addressed by this qualitative case study was the shortage of primary care providers in the rural areas of Colorado. Because of the shortage of healthcare providers, rural communities face health disparities at a higher rate than in other areas. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the reasons currently practicing Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) choose rural medicine in defined Colorado counties. The research questions were as follows: What do APNs and PAs, in Colorado, perceive influenced their decision to choose a career in rural medicine? What do APNs and PAs, in Colorado, perceive influence their decision to continue their careers in rural medicine? What do APNs and PAs in Colorado perceive might increase other APNs and PAs to choose a career in rural medicine? The design of this study was a case study. The conceptual framework used for this study was the Pfarrwaller et al. (2017) conceptual framework. The study used qualitative methods as the interviews and questionnaires used open-ended questions so that the participants could express their reasoning openly without being forced to choose from categorical answers. The population of interest included practicing PAs and APNs in designated rural, medically underserved areas of Colorado. Of the 250 potential participants, 12 participated in the study. The data collected from both the interviews and online questionnaires were entered into NVivo qualitative analysis software. Data saturation, validation, and triangulation were achieved by comparing data from the interviews and online questionnaires to clarify obscure concepts. The results of the APNs and PAs study may have several applications in practice, including helping schools identify groups of students or working adults who would be more likely to enter a career in rural medicine, and for rural healthcare facilities to understand the factors that drive APNs and PAs to choose and maintain a rural practice. By understanding those factors, training programs, rural communities, and lawmakers could develop plans for recruitment and retention of providers in rural areas.