Mrs Danielle Rogers1, Professor Pauline Calleja2, Dr Amy-Louise Byrne1, Dr Ashlyn Sahay1
1Central Queensland University, , Australia, 2James Cook University , , Australia
Biography:
Danielle Rogers is a RN and a Lecturer of Nursing at UniSC. She is also a PhD candidate at CQUniversity.
Danielle’s research is driven by her passion for rural and remote emergency nursing, which led to her PhD study: Providing emergency care in rural and remote facilities: what are the needs of non-emergency trained registered nurses new to the environment?
Danielle's research focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by rural and remote RNs and aims to improve the nursing health workforce's ability to provide emergency care to people living in rural and remote areas.
Starting out as a registered nurse (RN) in rural and remote Australia isn’t just a job, it is an adventure!
Abstract:
Using a modified Delphi method, a panel of 49 rural and remote experts participated in three iterative rounds to reach consensus on priority areas for workforce preparation.
The findings highlight the complex and evolving skillset required of RNs working in geographically isolated environments across Australia. While a broad mix of clinical, emergency and contextual skills are vital, no one expects new RNs to be equipped to manage everything on day one. Instead, structured orientation and tiered support systems were identified as critical to safe, effective and sustainable practice. Skill expectations varied significantly depending on whether the RN was working in a rural ward, remote clinic, or solo post.
Importantly, community trust and safety were found to be intertwined with the RN’s preparation and conduct, highlighting the need for culturally safe, professionally competent and contextually supported nursing practice. The study advocates for a flexible, responsive and well-resourced support framework that prioritises both patient and RN safety and fosters strong connections between health professionals and the communities they serve.
Multiple recommendations emerged to guide future workforce strategies including a roadmap for smarter, safer and more sustainable workforce strategies.