“Balancing two worlds”: a constructivist grounded theory exploring distributed/decentralised nursing education in rural and remote areas in Canada and Norway

ABSTRACTA challenge confronting northern nursing is delivery of equitable and culturally competent nursing education. Advances in technology support distributed approaches for decentralised learning and enhance the feasibility of nursing education in rural and remote regions. However, there is limited scholarship on distributed/decentralised technologies in nursing education, particularly in northern and circumpolar regions. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory research was to develop an enhanced understanding of the unique experiences of students, faculty and administrators who use distributed/decentralised methods and technology. Open-ended interviews were completed in 2015–17 with nursing students (n = 8), faculty and administrators (n = 6) at two universities using distributed/decentralised educational strategies in northern and circumpolar regions. Interviews, journal entries, field notes and memos, were analysed using grounded theory procedures. Findings indicated that distributed/decentralised programs offered rural and remote students educational possibilities that “fit” which would not have otherwise existed. However, Balancing Two Worlds created a collision of roles resulting in the potential loss of balance. Students rectified the Fear of “Falling Off” of their program through four subprocesses: Being Disciplined, Having Realistic Expectations, Planning Ahead and Staying Motivated which provided structure and predictability. Findings support the development of empirical knowledge regarding distributed/decentralised technologies in nursing education and a foundation for future research