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nursing colleague is not forced but is motivated from this belief system. As McGee (2006) proposes, nurses care for the self through sharing experiences of vulnerability and resilience, a characteristic that remote nurse very much demonstrate. Hodges, Keeley and Grier (2005) illustrated that advocating praise and acknowledgement of the success in a nurses’ achievements promotes feelings of pride which helps build resilience. Hegney et al. (2002) found that being part of a team was the equal first factor for nurses to remain working rurally [remotely]. Thirdly, there is a reciprocal feeling of not letting down their colleagues arising from working as a team; everyone has to assist each other as they are all in this together (Hegney et al., 2002). Fourthly, remote nurses have a sense of commitment to the community in which they work. Due to small populations they are usually personally aware of community members and families. Unlike in metropolitan areas where it is not possible to know many of the patients attending an Emergency Department, it is possible to know most, if not all of the patients who attend the primary healthcare centre. Hence remote nurses have a sense of emotional investment in the community and therefore want to remain professional and of continued assistance. Hegney et al. (2002) found that out of 91 factors which influence nurses remaining in rural [remote] nursing ‘a sense of belonging to the community’ (p. 132) ranked fifth. Lastly, there exists an element of resignation to the situation. Namely, if a remote nurse was to decompensate, it will not be helpful to the nurse and their colleagues (Hegney et al., 2002). Due to isolation what else is there to do other than carry on as mental health and other patients will continue to present at the primary healthcare centre. While remote nurses delivering mental healthcare are resilient, it does not diminish the occupational stress they endure. Opie et al. (2010) found that nurses working in