Rural and Remote Area Nursing

Nurses form the largest and most evenly distributed health profession working in rural, regional and remote Australia. Additionally, nurses provide a higher proportion of health care in rural and remote Australia than in urban and metropolitan zones.

Having an effective nursing workforce in place in rural and remote areas is therefore crucial to the health of people living in such areas.

One of the legacies of Australia’s low unemployment rate is a nationwide shortage of nurses, a pang felt even more sharply in Queensland’s rural and outback communities.

Role of the Office of the Chief Nursing Officer (OCNO)

The Office of the Chief Nursing Officer (OCNO) is taking an active interest in the operation of the rural and remote nursing workforce within Queensland.

To this end, the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) has established a reference group of senior rural and remote nursing professionals from across the three Area Health Services (AHS), to provide strategic advice and input on workforce issues facing this sector in Queensland.

The established reference group will:

Inform the development, implementation and review of recruitment, retention and marketing activities which focus specifically on rural and remote area nursing;
Explore systems and mechanisms to increase rural and remote area nursing representation in the current clinical governance model within Queensland Health;
Provide input on the development of a standardised generic preparation package for rural and remote area nursing practice;
Contribute to the development of a state-wide rural health strategy in collaboration with other government and non-government agencies;
Contribute to the revision of career pathways for rural and remote area nursing practice;
Examine strategies for the development and maintenance of clinical competency for nurses in rural and remote areas; and
Determine barriers and solutions to incorporate advanced nursing practice and emerging roles into the clinical landscape of rural and remote area facilities across the state.

Linkages

The work of OCNO in relation to the rural and remote nursing workforce is influenced by other Queensland Health and Queensland Government strategic directions. The rural and remote nursing workforce features prominently in numerous government plans, including:

Queensland Health Strategic Plan (2007-2012)
Queensland Statewide Health Services Plan (2007-2012) [568 kb]
Queensland Health People Plan (2007-2012)
Blueprint for the Bush (2006) [1.78 mb]
Smart State: Health 2020: A Vision for the Future
Clinical Service Capability Framework 2005 [1 mb] (currently under review)

Education Opportunities

The Cunningham Centre, located in Toowoomba, offers a myriad of courses and professional education for rural and remote nurses.

The Northern Area Health Service (NAHS) Workforce Directorate co-located in Cairns and Townville, also offers rural and remote nursing courses and education tailored to working in outback Queensland.

Updates

Information will be added to this page progressively. Check back at this page regularly for further information relating to the rural and remote nursing workforce.