S.TRUEMAN PhD THESIS 2016

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coping consists of concrete attempts made to alter the stressful event, while emotion focused coping consists of attempts made to alter stressful feelings. LeSergent and Haney (2005) found that rural nurses used both types of coping mechanisms. Nurses who feel more stressed tend to rely on more emotion-focused coping (e.g., avoidance, seeking social support) (Moszczynski & Haney, 2002). How helpful one or both is, depends on the situation and nature of stressor (Chang et al., 2007). The very nature of remote practice requires nurses to have the ability to quickly regain strength and remain stoic after any adverse incident. For example after a successful suicide attempt or having being assaulted by a mental health patient the nurse may question their competencies in caring for the patient or whether another course of action should have been undertaken, resulting in a better outcome. This is a natural human reaction and one which is expected of a professional nurse (i.e. reflective practice). What remote nurses demonstrate is the ability, after self-reflection, to continue to provide professional nursing care. This is consistent with a theme in Edward’s (2005) study, which found resilience is enhanced when nurses have insight into their own clinical role through feedback and introspective analysis. After a tragic event remote nurses rarely decompensate, instead remaining committed to the delivery of nursing care. There are a number of sources for this resilience. Firstly, the very nature of the role attracts a type of personality which is drawn to the adverse, harsh and challenging environment (Hegney et al., 2002). The remote landscape requires a tenacious personality (Mitchell, 2000). If the nurse is not tenacious, then they leave. Secondly, the camaraderie of fellow nurses is strong, supportive and understanding. The nurses feel a sense of being ‘all in this together’ and therefore supporting a fellow