The Retention of rural speech-language pathologists : a comparative study
Date
1996
Authors
Foster, Felicity
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Abstract
In recent years, the retention of rural, Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) has been of concern in both the United States and Canada. American studies have indicated that dissatisfaction with work in rural areas (and school based service) has led many SLPs to leave both the profession and the location in which they work (Farmer, 1994; Hall, Larrigan & Madison, 1991; Neeley, Diebold & Dickinson, 1994; Schetz & Billingsley, 1992). Previous research (excluding Neeley et al., 1994) had tended to target issues in the light of prospective employment rather than the retention of present employment. The current study measured the views of SLPs retaining employment in rural, Canadian contexts. The purposes of this study were to identify the reasons for continued employment for rural Speech-Language Pathologists in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, to conduct preliminary Canadian research and to replicate Neeley et al.'s (1994) study and thus provide the foundation for future research. The results are comparable to the American data suggesting that employment practices, employment benefits and isolation are mitigating factors in the retention of the rural SLPs; it may be that the moving to collaborative models of practice will both enhance work satisfaction and increase retention.