Nursing solutions for emergency response in rural America

Injuries and Emergency Response in Rural Areas

How can nursing make a difference in your chosen topic of injuries and emergency response in rural areas?

Injuries on farms involving machinery and animals, emergencies in areas that are socially isolated, and deaths amongst populations where guns are commonly used for hunting spell a recipe for disaster for many medically underserved communities in rural America. According to the National AG Safety Database article "Rural emergency response: The safety and health safety net," nearly 40% of the rural population is deemed to live in what is described as a medically underserved area. While 1 in 5 Americans live in rural areas, only about 1 in 10 physicians practice in a rural location. 43 rural counties in the United States lack any physician at all.

Agricultural occupations have the highest accidental work death rate of any major occupational group. 38% of all machinery related deaths occur on a farm and rural residents are more likely to be self-employed and lack comprehensive health care coverage. Additionally, 60% of all motor vehicle deaths occur in rural areas.