Introduction. Rural nursing careers offer a multitude of benefits for individuals. Despite this, there continues to be a growing deficit in the number of nurses choosing to practice in rural areas. As the first 12–18 months of a nursing career are fundamental in shaping career location decisions, it is important to explore factors that influence early career nurses’ employment decisions. Methods. A phenomenological study was undertaken to explore early career nurses’ experiences during their first year of rural practice and describe how the nurses’ experiences influenced their decision to remain in rural employment. Data were collected via semistructured interviews and underwent inductive [...]