Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Scope of practice
Investing in Primary Care: The Nurse Practitioner Will See You Now
Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Jessica McCann, Margaret Flinter
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
view details
Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Jessica McCann, Margaret Flinter
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
view details
Recruitment and Retention of Rural Health Professionals in Minnesota
Discusses barriers and facilitators to rural health recruitment and retention. Analyzes interview and focus group data from rural health professionals in Minnesota related to themes such as scope of practice, patient and community connections, access to housing and child care, loan forgiveness programs, and more.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Selam Woldegerima, Carrie Henning-Smith, Teri Fritsma, Andrew P.J. Olson
Citation: Health Services Research, 60(3), e14453
Date: 06/2025
view details
Discusses barriers and facilitators to rural health recruitment and retention. Analyzes interview and focus group data from rural health professionals in Minnesota related to themes such as scope of practice, patient and community connections, access to housing and child care, loan forgiveness programs, and more.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Selam Woldegerima, Carrie Henning-Smith, Teri Fritsma, Andrew P.J. Olson
Citation: Health Services Research, 60(3), e14453
Date: 06/2025
view details
Washington State's Anesthesia Workforce
Provides an overview of the anesthesia care workforce in Washington State as well as a literature review related to anesthesia workforce quality and gaps. Focuses on training, career pathways, scope of practice, licensure, and employment data. Examines county-level and rural versus urban data on healthcare sites, services, and healthcare professionals providing anesthesia care. Includes workforce analyses of a variety of healthcare professionals working in anesthesia, such as nurses, oral healthcare workers, physicians, and physician assistants.
Additional links: Anesthesiologist Assistants Occupational Brief, Anesthesiologists Occupational Brief, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Occupational Brief, Dental Anesthesia Assistants Occupational Brief, Dentists Occupational Brief, Physician Assistants Occupational Brief
Author(s): Paula M. Kett, Kyla F. Woodward, Samantha W. Pollack, et al.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
Provides an overview of the anesthesia care workforce in Washington State as well as a literature review related to anesthesia workforce quality and gaps. Focuses on training, career pathways, scope of practice, licensure, and employment data. Examines county-level and rural versus urban data on healthcare sites, services, and healthcare professionals providing anesthesia care. Includes workforce analyses of a variety of healthcare professionals working in anesthesia, such as nurses, oral healthcare workers, physicians, and physician assistants.
Additional links: Anesthesiologist Assistants Occupational Brief, Anesthesiologists Occupational Brief, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Occupational Brief, Dental Anesthesia Assistants Occupational Brief, Dentists Occupational Brief, Physician Assistants Occupational Brief
Author(s): Paula M. Kett, Kyla F. Woodward, Samantha W. Pollack, et al.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
The Role of Telehealth in Sepsis Care in Rural Emergency Departments: A Qualitative Study of Emergency Department Sepsis Telehealth User Perspectives
Explores rural emergency department staff use of and perspectives on provider-to-provider telehealth (tele-ED) use for rural patients with sepsis, using data from interviews with 27 hub physicians, rural ED providers, and nurses in the Upper Midwest. Discusses topics related to rural barriers and facilitators of tele-ED use, impacts on quality of care, staff and facility-level factors, and more.
Author(s): Nicholas M. Mohr, Kimberly A.S. Merchant, Brian M. Fuller, et al.
Citation: PLOS One, 20(4), e0321299
Date: 04/2025
view details
Explores rural emergency department staff use of and perspectives on provider-to-provider telehealth (tele-ED) use for rural patients with sepsis, using data from interviews with 27 hub physicians, rural ED providers, and nurses in the Upper Midwest. Discusses topics related to rural barriers and facilitators of tele-ED use, impacts on quality of care, staff and facility-level factors, and more.
Author(s): Nicholas M. Mohr, Kimberly A.S. Merchant, Brian M. Fuller, et al.
Citation: PLOS One, 20(4), e0321299
Date: 04/2025
view details
Nurse Practitioner Race and Ethnicity and Interest in Independent Primary Care Practice and Serving Medicaid Enrollees
Surveyed California nurse practitioners (NPs) to determine the current practice and practice intentions following scope of practice regulation changes in California. Presents 2023 data showing rurality of NPs by amount of primary care offered and Medicaid patient caseload currently and those considering independent primary care practice, among other characteristics.
Author(s): Ulrike Muench, Amy Quan, Rosalind de Lisser, Timothy Bates, Joanne Spetz
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(12)
Date: 11/2024
view details
Surveyed California nurse practitioners (NPs) to determine the current practice and practice intentions following scope of practice regulation changes in California. Presents 2023 data showing rurality of NPs by amount of primary care offered and Medicaid patient caseload currently and those considering independent primary care practice, among other characteristics.
Author(s): Ulrike Muench, Amy Quan, Rosalind de Lisser, Timothy Bates, Joanne Spetz
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(12)
Date: 11/2024
view details
Gender Differences in Factors Associated with Rural Health Care Practice in Minnesota
Examines the sex-related factors in choosing to practice in a rural area. Analyzes 2021-2022 Minnesota Department of Health data according to healthcare profession, sex, race/ethnicity, and factors for choosing a rural location to practice, such as scope of practice, lifestyle, educational or internship options, and more.
Author(s): Selam Woldegerima, Teri Fritsma, Carrie Henning-Smith, Mark Rosenberg, Andrew P.J. Olson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 09/2024
view details
Examines the sex-related factors in choosing to practice in a rural area. Analyzes 2021-2022 Minnesota Department of Health data according to healthcare profession, sex, race/ethnicity, and factors for choosing a rural location to practice, such as scope of practice, lifestyle, educational or internship options, and more.
Author(s): Selam Woldegerima, Teri Fritsma, Carrie Henning-Smith, Mark Rosenberg, Andrew P.J. Olson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 09/2024
view details
Transforming Oral Health Care in North Carolina
Makes recommendations for improving oral health access, supporting oral care workforce and providers, and promoting oral health quality and equity in North Carolina. Discusses oral health in rural and underserved areas throughout, including coverage of workforce distribution, dental safety net, and access barriers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
view details
Makes recommendations for improving oral health access, supporting oral care workforce and providers, and promoting oral health quality and equity in North Carolina. Discusses oral health in rural and underserved areas throughout, including coverage of workforce distribution, dental safety net, and access barriers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
view details
Dental Therapy Resource Guide
Describes the role of dental therapists in expanding access to dental healthcare in rural communities. Outlines the status of state laws and regulations regarding dental therapy education and practice as of August 2021. Compares the scope of practice of dental therapists to other dental care providers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
view details
Describes the role of dental therapists in expanding access to dental healthcare in rural communities. Outlines the status of state laws and regulations regarding dental therapy education and practice as of August 2021. Compares the scope of practice of dental therapists to other dental care providers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
view details
Exploring Healthcare Provider Retention in a Rural and Frontier Community in Northern Idaho
Examines factors related to healthcare provider retention in rural and remote areas of Idaho. Utilizes questionnaire data from 30 healthcare providers and focuses on themes such as geography, economics, scope of practice, medical support, and facility and community support.
Author(s): Jonathan D. Moore, Allie M. Lords, Madeline P. Casanova, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 381
Date: 03/2024
view details
Examines factors related to healthcare provider retention in rural and remote areas of Idaho. Utilizes questionnaire data from 30 healthcare providers and focuses on themes such as geography, economics, scope of practice, medical support, and facility and community support.
Author(s): Jonathan D. Moore, Allie M. Lords, Madeline P. Casanova, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 381
Date: 03/2024
view details
Bridging The Home-Based Primary Care Gap In Rural Areas
Discusses challenges with offering home-based primary care (HBPC) in rural communities for older adults and people with disabilities, notably workforce shortages, insufficient infrastructure, and funding. Offers HBPC redesign suggestions with these challenges in mind, discussing community health workers, technology and telehealth, leveraging community resources and partnerships, training, scope of practice laws, payment models, and infrastructure investments.
Author(s): Ginny Rogers, Montgomery Smith, Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Robert S. Saunders
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 02/2024
view details
Discusses challenges with offering home-based primary care (HBPC) in rural communities for older adults and people with disabilities, notably workforce shortages, insufficient infrastructure, and funding. Offers HBPC redesign suggestions with these challenges in mind, discussing community health workers, technology and telehealth, leveraging community resources and partnerships, training, scope of practice laws, payment models, and infrastructure investments.
Author(s): Ginny Rogers, Montgomery Smith, Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Robert S. Saunders
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 02/2024
view details