'I hate cities': spatial and social connectedness for rural and remote health care professionals

In 2003 I undertook a small qualitative study looking at Tasmanian rural health professionals’ reasons for ‘going rural’ and ‘staying rural’. Recruitment and retention literature of the time appeared to deemphasise factors highly influential in personal decision-making: issues of identity, culture, and experience; in-depth discussions of rural ‘lifestyle’, background or training. The importance of lifestage (including partnering, partner and family influences) also seemed disguised, and individual experience of communities and environments downplayed. The research examined connections, interactions and overlap between personal and professional identities, lifestages and lifestyles, preferred ‘place’ and choice of work location.