Unique challenges of site coordination at a remote campus
Mrs Helen Dries, BHlth(Nsg), MNSt, Dip Mid., Australia*
The JCU Bachelor of Nursing Science has been delivered in Mount Isa at the Mount Isa Centre for Rural & Remote Health for the last ten years. First, second and third year students may study fulltime over three years, or part-time over six years. There are two semesters a year, with four subjects offered in each semester. The mode offered in Mount Isa includes face-to-face teaching of all nursing tutorials and clinical skills laboratories, as well as video-conferenced lectures where students only need to travel to attend science residential schools (one week each semester in first and second year) and for clinical placements if they are not offered locally.
There have been some unique challenges impacting on the ongoing delivery of all aspects of this program at a remote site. While there are cultural differences and expectations relating to remoteness and Indigenous concerns, some specific issues include resources, transport, recruitment and retention of students and staff, maintaining academic, professional and community networks, promotion and marketing and developing processes to sustain corporate knowledge.
The development of strategies to address some of these challenges has been ongoing in response to immediate needs. Some examples include obtaining funding for, and subsequent employment of additional academic, administrative and Indigenous student support staff; applications for infrastructure grants; development of academic writing and referencing workshops and videoconferencing of nursing lectures, development of Business Plan for Mount Isa teaching site.
By addressing these challenges the Mount Isa nursing program hopes to contribute to a locally educated nursing workforce which will, in turn, address rural and remote health workforce retention issues. Further implications will be an increase in the Indigenous nursing workforce and cohorts of local graduates with an understanding of the unique nature of rural and remote nursing.
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