The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Dec 2019
A case-study of the experiences of junior medical officers in the emergency departments of a metropolitan hospital and rural hospital.
Increased exposure to post-graduate rural medical training is associated with increased likelihood of future rural practice. Training rotations in rural emergency departments provide a possible avenue for such exposure, but have been under-investigated. This study aimed to compare junior medical officers' emergency department experiences in a metropolitan and a rural hospital to inform rural health workforce initiatives. ⋯ Most junior medical officers agreed that their expectations for support and learning opportunities were met and/or exceeded. However, junior medical officers reported feeling more supported at the rural hospital due to direct contact and communication with senior medical officers. Placement in a smaller hospital emergency department did not disadvantage the junior medical officers' training in this case-study and provided a positive rural training experience. These findings support workforce policies which encourage rural hospital emergency department training.
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Aust J Rural Health · Dec 2019
Attracting junior doctors to rural centres: A national study of work-life conditions and satisfaction.
Junior doctors, in their first four years of medical work, are an important part of the health care team. Attracting and retaining these doctors to rural areas underpins the development of the future rural workforce. This is the first national-scale study about satisfaction of junior doctors, based on their work location, to inform recruitment and retention. ⋯ While both metropolitan and rural junior doctors are generally satisfied, many professional and personal aspects of satisfaction differ considerably by work location. In order to attract early career doctors, the benefits of rural work should be emphasised and perceived weaknesses mitigated.
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Aust J Rural Health · Oct 2019
Advance care planning in rural New South Wales from the perspective of general practice registrars and recently fellowed general practitioners.
This study examined advance care planning as delivered by general practice registrars and recently fellowed GPs in New South Wales rural settings. The facilitators and barriers to advance care planning uptake in these areas were investigated, as well as the state of general practice training on advance care planning. ⋯ The lack of training opportunities in advance care planning during vocational training, especially when combined with the essential role played by rural GPs in initiating advance care planning and providing end-of-life care, appears to be a major problem that might contribute to poor uptake among patients in rural areas. This study demonstrated, however, the significant benefits that advance care planning could bring in patients living in rural communities if delivered effectively. Given that rural GPs face a number of barriers to providing routine health care, these results highlight an important need to provide GPs and rural communities with support, education, incentive, better administrative tools, options and greater awareness of advance care planning.
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Aust J Rural Health · Aug 2019
Rural palliative care to support dying at home can be realised; experiences of family members and nurses with a new model of care.
While 60%-70% of people would prefer to die at home, only 14% do so. Families in a rural environment feel particularly unsupported in fulfilling this last wish of their loved one, which reflects the general shortage of health care workforce and resource allocation to institutions. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of families and nurses with extended rural palliative care to support dying at home. ⋯ Rural care support for dying at home can be realised. This study has demonstrated the positive impact of an end-of-life service, while at the same time pointing to concerns of the nursing staff on the suitability of the model of care. Health care workers and communities alike need to be educated and have conversations on end-of-life care.
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Aust J Rural Health · Jun 2019
Compression garment service model: Facilitating access to compression garments through workforce and service redesign.
Patients in Queensland have had difficulty in accessing lymphoedema services, particularly in rural and remote locations. ⋯ The service model implemented has the capacity to address workforce and service provision issues. It provides resources, education and training for clinicians to improve access to the provision of compression garment services.