Ms Jessie Anderson1, Dr Narelle Campbell2, Ms Annie Farthing3, Dr Sue Lenthall4, Ms Leigh Moore2, Ms Susan Witt2, Dr Chris Rissel2
1Flinders University
2Flinders Northern Territory
3Flinders Northern Territory, Centre for Remote Health
4Flinders Northern Territory
Introduction: In recent years there has been increased focus on providing supported placements to nursing and allied health students in sites outside of metropolitan areas to encourage the uptake of careers in rural and remote Australia. Recent research indicates a positive association between exposure to rural practice and the intention to consider working in a similar situation. There is little known about how this intention translates into the uptake of positions in rural and remote settings over time. This paper presents the ongoing findings of a ten-year tracking study of the work practice locations of all nursing and allied health students who complete a Northern Territory placement during their undergraduate degree.
Key Findings: All allied health and nursing students who completed a clinical placement of two weeks or more in the NT since 2016 are invited to participate. Participants receive an annual online survey to track their work locations, intentions and what factors either attracted them to, or resulted in them leaving, positions in rural or remote areas.
Results from the survey sent in 2021 found a third (33%) of respondents had worked in a rural or remote area. Regardless of whether the graduates had worked in a remote setting or not, the main reasons for being attracted to their job were similar in terms of their rankings: professional skill development, followed by type of work/client, then career advancement, work/life balance and income.
Conclusion: This research is valuable to direct recruitment and retention practices in remote settings. Tracking participant’s career movements will provide insight into factors that make remote practice attractive. Understanding where these professionals chose to practice can inform how positions are offered and supported, what people are best suited to experience the remote workforce and where effort should be concentrated to foster the future workforce.
Biography:
Jessie Anderson is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University. Jessie is a Registered Nurse, researcher and educator with a background in Emergency Nursing. Jessie teaches across a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate nursing topics and is passionate about curriculum design and rural and remote health.
Currently based in Adelaide, Jessie previously worked with the Rural Inter-Professional Placement Learning team in Alice Springs and remains committed to the development of the rural and remote nursing and allied health workforce.