Perceptions of important retention and recruitment factors by therapists in northwestern Ontario

Recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural and remote commu nities are well-known challenges. Although the literature states that lifes tyle factors and being from a rural background influence recruitment and re tention, much of the research is dated and of limited relevance to rehabili tation professionals. This study reports on a survey of physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) in northwestern Ontario. Seventy-f our percent of the OTs and PTs from this geographically isolated region of Canada responded to a mail survey examining factors that influenced their j ob recruitment and retention decisions. Availability of leisure and recreat ion activities, proximity of family of origin, need for OTs and PTs and inf luence of spouse or partner frequently contributed to recruitment decisions and were also important in retention decisions. Although professional auto nomy was an important source of job satisfaction for the respondents, almos t one-third reported a feeling of professional isolation. Professional deve lopment initiative appeared to influence job satisfaction but were unlikely to influence working life decisions. The findings suggest that recruitment and retention strategies should be multifaceted to reflect the complexity of therapists' decision-making.