Microsoft Word - Fash_529-3158-1-ED.docx


Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 18(1) 
http://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v18i1.529 

 1 

Editorial  

Place Represented in the Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care 

Pamela Stewart Fahs, PhD, RN, Editor 

Rural is represented in this journal from a variety of places and perspectives.  Just perusing 

the articles for the May 2018 issue, I found place represented as rural central Appalachia, 

southeastern KY, AL, western states such as CO and Canada and over the years we have published 

articles from all over the US as well as globally.  Of course, just because research occurs in a 

specific place or has a rural sample does not make the research rural in and of itself.  That said, I 

personally believe that rural nurses can benefit from research that is inclusive of rural populations 

even if the topic itself is not rural specific.  A case may also be made for including research done 

in none rural venues if the application to rural health, populations or health policy can be made. 

However, I find there are a variety of opinions on how an argument for including research inclusive 

of place should be made if the study could have been completed anywhere and “just happens” to 

have a rural site or rural sample.  The authors that are most  successful in making this case clearly 

delineate how they are defining rural and how the research will influence rural health care, rural 

nursing or rural policy throughout the article, not just in the title, key words or sample.  The focus 

of this journal is rural nursing and all that goes along with that focus. Authors should be reading 

the author guideline prior to submission and writing to the rural nurse audience to make their case 

of how rural place matters in the work they are disseminating through the Online Journal of Rural 

Nursing and Health Care. 

Rural places will be amply represented at the 2018 International Rural Nursing Conference 

co-sponsored by the RNO in Nashville, TN from July 23-26, 2018 

http://www.rno.org/events/international-rural-nursing-conference-2018-2/ . See you there!