Remote area nursing
Remote area nurses practice nursing in geographically isolated areas of Australia and her Territories. They may be working at mining sites, in tourist resorts, in remote communities or at satellite clinics on pastoral properties. Because of the geographical isolation they often work independently, or as part of a small team and have to refer patients to other areas and disciplines for secondary and tertiary interventions. The majority of remote area nurses are accessible to the population they care for, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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What do remote area nurses do?
Remote area nurses provide holistic, cradle-to grave health care within a primary health care framework. Remote area nurses are frequently referred to as the nursing "Jack of all Trades". This is because they need a broad scope of practice; although as the specialty has matured, it is recognised that there is a need to ensure that the focus on breadth is not at the expense of depth, so we can legitimately refer to members of the specialty as "Masters of One!" It would be fair to say of all the nursing specialties, remote area nurses have the widest scope of practice and a normal day can scan everything that you would find listed in a hospital directory and more.
How do I become a remote area nurse?
Most services require nurses to have at least three years generalist experience before going remote, although that is changing with the trend towards universities and health services providing better preparatory courses, orientation programs and support. It is recommended that nurses seek out undergraduate programs that would expose them to topics that will ready them for remote practice, like Indigenous health, cultural safety and self care, and actively pursue bush placements during their education. Following graduation, working in small regional hospitals tends to give greater exposure to practice that encourages the development of confidence and competence required to work in remote areas. If the graduate is keen to work in Indigenous environments, time spent in a hospital which has a large number of Indigenous clients is also good preparation. There are now graduate programs that provide four months' remote experience as part of the program (such as Alice Springs). If the student has had a well-orientated undergraduate education, they tend to do very well, even though they lack broader experience. Midwifery is not a prerequisite in most remote services as nurses in these areas tend to come from a generalist background, but additional education in this area is certainly very beneficial. Some services provide short courses on antenatal care for the non-midwife. Queensland has the Isolated Practice Endorsement system, which supports nurses entering the remote workforce. Most States require you to get the Immunisation Endorsement to practice in some remote settings, but this is usually obtained following commencement with a service.
What career opportunities exist for remote area nurses?
If you are looking for higher education that is portable and has career longevity with application in remote settings, adult education, primary or public health, maternal and child health or advanced nursing practice are all excellent career pathways for remote area nurses.
Where can I get more information on remote area nursing?
Visit the Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia website: www.crana.org.au
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