Editorial


 
 

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Editorial 
 

EXCITING TIMES 
 

Kathy Crooks 
Editorial Board Member 

  
 

The past year has been an exciting time for nurses working in rural and remote 
parts of Canada. While 95 percent of this immense country is considered to be rural or 
remote, only 18 percent of all nurses in Canada are employed in these areas. Because of 
distance and lack of technology in some areas, until very recently it has been impossible 
for this small number of nurses to organize and band together to advance the cause of 
rural nursing in Canada. This all changed at the Canadian Nurses Association Biennium 
in St. John’s Newfoundland in June, 2004. At that time, a group of about 30 nurses from 
across Canada with an interest in rural/remote nursing met to discuss the organization of 
the Canadian Association of Rural and Remote Nurses (CARRN). CARRN is in the 
process of electing its first slate of officers. The emergence of an organization such as 
CARRN is a monumental undertaking. Its inception is the result of the hard work of Dr. 
Dana Edge and Meg McDonoagh of the University of Calgary, as well as Barb Shellian, 
a former president of the Alberta Association of Registered Nurses. These three 
individuals, along with Dr. Elizabeth Thomlinson, met in Binghamton, New York, for the 
Third International Congress. From that meeting, the idea for CAARN was born.  

The desire for Canadian nurses to establish an organization like CARRN is in part 
the result of the formation of the ICN Remote and Rural Nurses Network. The concept 
for the network grew from an initial meeting that took place in Toowoomba, Queensland, 
Australia at the Second International Congress in 2000. Spearheaded by Dr. Sally Reel, 
the group of nurses who met in Australia have been corresponding via e-mail over the 
past several years. Thanks to Dr. Reel’s diligence and persistence, the group will meet 
again in Sudbury, Ontario, at the 4th International Congress, at which time the network 
will become recognized officially by ICN.  

Rural nursing research has also assumed a more prominent position in Canada 
during the past two years. A nation-wide study on the nature of rural nursing practice in 
Canada is just reaching completion. This study, which involves researchers from several 
universities across the country, began about three years ago and has provided us with the 
only snapshot of the demographics of rural nurses to date. Those of us that are interested 
in improving the cause of rural nursing in Canada are eagerly anticipating the final results 
of this venture.  

Recently, Medicine Hat College had the opportunity to host a delegation of 
educators from Japan interested in rural and remote nursing. It was very interesting to me 
that there are areas in Japan that are considered to be rural and remote. I will be visiting 
Japan in April and look forward to seeing some of those areas for myself. It is so nice to 
see that many other countries are beginning to embrace the fact that nursing in these areas 
is quite different.  

Sadly, Canadian rural nursing lost one of its greatest supporters in March, 2004, 
when Dr. Elizabeth Thomlinson passed away. Dr. Thomlinson, associate dean of 

Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, vol. 4, no. 2, Fall 2004 
 



 
 

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undergraduate studies at the University of Calgary, had worked extensively as a rural 
nurse prior to transferring her expertise to the university. Dr. Thomlinson was 
instrumental in establishing the Rural and Remote Health Research group at the 
university and chaired the first two biennial conferences. A rural nursing student 
scholarship has been established in her name at the University of Calgary. This 
scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates a keen interest in rural nursing 
and health care. It is intended to assist students in offsetting costs when on a rural 
practicum experience and to help in promoting rural nursing as a practice choice.  

Sometimes it seems that change moves very slowly, but sometimes that sense is 
only an illusion. As I reflect over the events of the past few months, I realize that rural 
nursing in Canada is advancing more quickly than it sometimes appears. Until a few 
years ago, rural nurses were often considered to be in a subordinate position to their 
urban counterparts. This is changing. Canadian rural nursing is in a renaissance stage 
with many advances, some false starts but clearly with the best yet to come. 

  

  

 

Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, vol. 4, no. 2, Fall 2004