Academic literature on the topic 'Rural nursing Social aspects Victoria'

The concern for ethical principles and values is not limited to health professionals alone. However, ethical principles in nursing act as safety valves for social control to prevent professional misconduct and abuse of the rights of clients. As a result of colonial experience, developing countries like Botswana usually follow the European lead, especially examples from the UK. This article examines the ethical problems and dilemmas associated with rural nursing practice in Botswana, a developing country in sub-Saharan Africa. The major ethical problems identified are related to the distribution of and access to health resources in rural communities. It is proposed that nurses must assume responsibility in the field of access and allocation by working collaboratively with governments and other professional bodies, and that nurses as a global community must work together as a team to support each other.

Australia's rural health services commonly face serious and protracted workforce shortages. To help address such shortages in rural and remote areas, a range of programs exist to support university students to undertake placements in a rural setting. In particular, University Departments of Rural Health (UDRHs) are funded to support nursing and allied health students to undertake a rural placement. As UDRHs encourage students to 'go rural' and as they coordinate and facilitate placements in rural settings, a range of enablers and barriers emerge. This study investigates the lived experiences of nursing and allied health students on placement in public health services in rural and regional Victoria. Its purpose was to identify the enablers and barriers most strongly affecting placement satisfaction and personal wellbeing. The intended outcome was to identify modifiable factors that could potentially improve the rural placement experience. Eighteen students were interviewed by a student undertaking her placement. Interviews were 45-60 minutes in length and all face-to-face. The 18 participants were from five universities and were undertaking their placement at one of seven public hospitals operating in northeast Victoria. The researcher recruited participants by attending scheduled debrief meetings at their placement organisation, briefly discussing the research and inviting students to participate. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The study found that most participants were positive and enthusiastic about their rural placement, both professionally and personally. Three key enablers were identified: 1) enjoyment of the rural environment and community; 2) working in a positive, friendly and supportive workplace; and 3) exposure to broad practice and enhanced learning opportunities. Simultaneously many had also experienced significant barriers before, during or as a consequence of undertaking their placement, and these negatively affected placement satisfaction and personal wellbeing. Identified barriers were: 1) increased financial stress; 2) travel and accommodation challenges and concerns; 3) study-work-life balance and isolation issues; 4) encountering stressful work situations and/or personal events while on placement; and 5) communication issues with universities. The findings are strongly consistent with those identified in the extant literature. The findings add to previous research by deepening understanding about the financial burden and barriers experienced by nursing and allied health students as a result of undertaking rural placements. Disruption to students' lives socially, psychologically, financially and in terms of employment were significant. The study identified some important aspects of the placement experience, suggesting that nursing and allied health students can be dissatisfied with increased financial stress, isolation and inflexibility from universities.

The status of offender rehabilitation has been influenced by the prevailing social climate, the promotion of ways to improve rehabilitation’s efficacy, and the well documented cycling of correctional imperatives. A renewed interest in offender transitions and reintegration has been apparent in recent years and most western correctional systems now feature policies and/or programs that address issues relating to the housing, employment, education and the broader ‘resettlement’ of offenders. However, this movement of correctional imperatives into the ‘social’ realm brings considerable challenges. Perhaps most significantly, the achievement of reintegration is dependent on juridical and community support in ways that other sentencing goals are not. Given the array of understandings of what ‘reintegration’ actually is, the abundance of programs claiming such a focus, and the reliance that reintegrative ideas have on community support, measuring the extent and nature of such support is seen as a useful exercise. With the above in mind, the goal of this paper is to identify legislative and community obstacles to the success of reintegrative ideals and policies. The paper first examines relevant legislation for references to reintegrative notions, finding a legislative ambivalence about such ideas. It then presents findings from a Victoria-wide survey of community views about the reintegration of ex-offenders. Participants in the community survey (n = 2635) were asked for their views about sentencing objectives, and the nature of their support for employment and housing initiatives. The results showed low levels of overall support for reintegration, with numerous more subtle distinctions being evident. The data also identify numerous areas where reintegrative programs are likely to be more readily accepted. The findings also indicate a need for targeted research into the correlates of community readiness for specific aspects of offender reintegration, and underlines the need for community education about the social implications of effective reintegration policies for urban, regional and rural communities.

Objective To date, there are few data on pharmacy-specific placement programs and their impact on students’ work after graduation. The present study evaluated an innovative rural pharmacy placement program targeted at influencing students to work and live in rural areas after graduation. A secondary aim of the study was to explore the students’ intentions to come back and practice in rural areas as a result of their involvement in the rural pharmacy program. Methods A questionnaire was distributed, by hand, to a total of 58 third and fourth (final) year pharmacy students undertaking their rural placement in the Gippsland region, in rural Victoria in 2011 and 2012. Results Fifty-seven responses were returned (response rate = 98%). Students stated that understanding pharmacy practice from a rural perspective, visits to rural health professionals and sites and the attitude of their preceptors were essential to their satisfaction with their rural placements. A significant number of students (72%) intend to seek employment in rural areas if opportunities arise as a result of their increased rural awareness. The key components for a successful rural placement program were described by the surveyed students as social awareness, recognising job opportunities and interprofessional learning. Conclusion The evaluation of the rural placement program revealed that students valued their visits to rural sites and their interaction with other rural health professionals the most. What is known about the topic? Rural undergraduate student programs have been initiated as a result of several Australian government strategies to address shortages in rural health workforce. Subsequently, various rural placement programs have been integral parts of several disciplines, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy and pharmacy among others. To date, there are few data on pharmacy-specific placement programs and their impact on students’ work after graduation What does this paper add? The rural pharmacy program is important in influencing students’ perceptions and interest in a career in rural areas. The key components for a successful rural placement program were described by the surveyed students as social awareness, recognising job opportunities and interprofessional learning. What are the implications for practitioners? Interprofessional learning and collaboration are inevitable due to the shortage of health professionals and the move towards holistic management of patients in healthcare settings. The development of an interprofessional rural education that combines rural medical and pharmacy students together highlights the importance of an interprofessional approach to preparing students to work in rural areas.

Aim: The aims of this analysis are to (1) identify the concept of rural resiliency in cancer survivors in the nursing literature and (2) propose a conceptual framework that may help nurses leverage rural resilience to improve survivorship care. Background: Rural cancer survivors demonstrate rural resiliency by utilizing aspects of rural culture to improve their psychosocial distress. However, resiliency in rural cancer survivors is poorly understood. Design: We used Walker & Avants’ concept analysis approach to direct article selection, review, and analysis. Review methods: We identified a definition, antecedents, consequences, attributes, empirical referents, and related terms, and provide model, contrary, and borderline case examples. Results: We identified 29 articles that met inclusion criteria. We propose a conceptual model of rural resiliency that is grounded in three domains of rural culture: spirituality, cultural norms, and social capital. Attributes of rural culture within these domains impact a cancer survivor’s psychosocial health, leading to either negative or positive psychosocial outcomes. Conclusion: A better understanding of how rural resiliency impacts cancer survivors can help clinicians and researchers provide culturally-targeted post-treatment interventions. Our proposed conceptual framework may guide nurse researchers to develop measurement tools that evaluate rural resilience and its impact on health outcomes. Keywords: rural, cancer survivor, resilience, concept analysis, conceptual frameworkDOI: https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v21i1.676

Abstract Between 1 million and 2.2 million nursing home residents are transferred to a hospital emergency department each year. These transfers are costly, have negative health outcomes, and can increase the morbidity and mortality of residents. The purpose of this study was to examine the transfer process between the nursing home and the hospital from the perspective of nursing home residents and nurses, focusing on how decisions were made to transfer residents. Using a qualitative descriptive method, 22 participants were recruited from four nursing homes located in rural Indiana. Purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews, and conventional content analysis were used to collect and analyze narratives obtained from residents and nurses about their experiences with a recent transfer. The participants described four aspects of the transfer process: transfer decisions, transport experiences, hospital stays, and returns to the nursing home. The most common reason for transfers was an acute exacerbation of a chronic condition, and the decision to transfer was often made by a nurse. Most residents found aspects of the transfer aversive or upsetting. The return to the nursing home was typically welcomed but often challenging due to problems with mobility, medications, and cognitive changes. Participants also provided several recommendations for avoiding potentially preventable transfers including adding “in-house” diagnostic testing and treatment equipment, improving staff competencies in managing acute exacerbations, increasing staffing, improving communication among staff, and increasing staff familiarity with resident histories and preferences. The findings have several clinical and policy implications for preventing or decreasing the negative effects of hospital transfers.

Objective.This paper describes stages in the research literature related to recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural health careers. Data sources.Electronic databases accessed included Medline, CINAHL, Social Sciences and Humanities. Key search terms included ‘high school’, ‘career choices’, ‘rural’, ‘attachment’, ‘recruitment’ and ‘retention’. Data synthesis.We identified four stages: (1) making career choices; (2) being attached to place; (3) taking up rural practice; and (4) remaining in rural practice. This is termed the ‘rural pipeline’. However, as some stages of the ‘rural pipeline’ refer specifically to the medical profession, we propose an extension of the notion of the medical ‘rural pipeline’ to include other professions such as nursing, midwifery and allied health. Conclusions.Utilising the ‘rural pipeline’ as a template for medicine, nursing and allied health would strengthen current approaches to the recruitment and retention of professionals in rural areas and provide a consolidated evidence base that would assist in policy development to improve availability and service provision of the rural health workforce. Future research that utilises a multidisciplinary approach could explore how the role and relationship between place and identity shape needs of career choices and would provide important information to advance the practical aspects supporting rural health career pathways. What is known about the topic?A universal shortage of rural health professionals is a significant issue and is becoming critical in rural areas of Australia. Although there have been many studies, internationally and in Australia, there are several gaps in recruitment and retention of rural health professionals that require further attention. What does this paper add?This paper examines workforce studies related to recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural health careers. The pipeline, however, refers mainly to the medical profession. The stages in this paper extend the notion of the medical ‘rural pipeline’ to include other professions such as nursing and allied health. This paper focusses on literature concerning developed countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the USA and Canada and identifies several proposed areas of future research. What are the implications for practitioners?The literature clearly identifies important issues for the rural health workforce. Having an understanding of the key issues underpinning the recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural areas allows the development and enhancement of appropriate workforce strategies. Utilising the ‘rural pipeline’ as a template for medicine, nursing and allied health would strengthen current approaches to the recruitment and retention of professionals in rural areas and provide a consolidated evidence base.

Background and PurposeThe role of older women close to the pregnant woman may be relevant when conveying information. The use of theories/models can guide the development of nursing practice. Purpose: To explore beliefs and practices related to pregnancy and childbirth from the perspective of older women who gave birth at home, applying Leininger's Sunrise Model.MethodsQualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with 24 older women who gave birth at home (rural area, Spain). Manual content analysis of the data was used, and Sunrise Model guided to explore the role of culture and the factors affecting maternity care.ResultsTwo main categories emerged: beliefs/practices related to physiological aspects (subcategories: minimal intervention, hygiene, pain control, rest, feeding) and to psychosocial aspects (subcategories: spiritual well-being, company).Implications for PracticeThe experiences of older women who gave birth at home helped us to understand some beliefs that survive in some pregnant women, similar in different cultures, and divided into physiological and psychosocial aspects. Older women have a relevant role as transmitters of information, and can provide some keys to plan health interventions, as companions or counselors. Applying the Sunrise Model, we verified the weight that culture has in maternal health care, and the multiple factors that interfere with the way of caring. The application of models helps us to improve nursing practice: not only should we focus on knowing the physical aspects, but also the social and cultural circumstances surrounding the pregnant woman.

With the development of China's elderly care industry, pension service institutions have become the main channel to provide effective care to the elderly. However, at present, that nursing staff hardly to be recruited, managed and retained has become a universal problem. This article mainly adopts the questionnaire survey method to investigate the left-behind women in Wugang city of Hunan province, and uses the Logistic regression model to analyze the factors of the left-behind women's willingness to elderly care service from five aspects: human capital, social capital, natural capital, material capital and financial capital. The results shows that human capital such as education level and skill training, material capital of housing value, and financial capital with deposit have a significant impact on their choices.

Abstract This article reflects upon a mobile art ethnography that sought to understand and rethink some of the tensions around regional/rural experiences of the digital. Using creative practice-based methods, it provides new insights into this regional/urban divide through the motif of working mother commuter as digital wayfarer, a term used to define on/offline digital entanglement through the lived experience of quotidian wayfaring. It contributes to debates around mobile communication and mobile media studies by connecting conceptual analysis of mobilities and its relationship to regional commuting with a creative approach to movement, play and a sense of place. Much of the academic research on mobile media and internet studies stems from an urban focus rather than engaging in the unevenness of the online as is much of the experience in the rural region of North Central Victoria, Australia. Being a working mother commuter for almost a decade, the researcher also took an autobiographical approach to aspects of this project through the lens of digital wayfaring. The artefact used ethnographic case study methods and is a creative non/ fiction sound and moving imagery work made using the mobile phone, within the context of the regional Vline train. Utilising sonified global positioning system (GPS) data as part of the soundscape, it addressed problems in the production of this train activity (i. e. work, creativity, play, rest and playbour) regarding social and material participation of the commute infrastructure and overlaid internet connections. It showed how multisensorial art-making highlights the commute to be a journey to and from - and of - work, within the ecology of the Vline train, and therefore provides new ways of perceiving this copresent, mediated and entangled digital experience.

This paper presents the findings of a study of rural palliative care nurses in Western Australia. The numbers of rural centres in Western Australia offering palliative care services are increasing; however at present there is little empirical data available about the roles of the nurses involved. This study was undertaken to begin to correct this deficit. The study examines basic social processes associated with the role of rural palliative care nurses and identities issues that affect the nurses’ professional practice. A modified grounded theory approach was used to form a conceptual framework that describes rural palliative care nursing. Theoretical sampling techniques were used to identify the six palliative care nurses working in rural Western Australia who participated in this study. Data was generated using in depth interview and participant observation techniques. Constant comparative analysis of the data was employed to allow concepts to emerge from the data. The central theme that developed from the data Living Palliative Care describes the all-consuming nature of the rural palliative care nurses’ role. Three related categories, Wearing Many Huts, Being the Expert and Surviving in Palliative Care are also discussed. This research has explored issues that rural palliative care nurses feel are relevant to their professional practice and it describes the basic social processes inherent in the rural palliative care nurse’s role. Recommendations for nursing research, education, administration and clinical practice are presented.

Purpose: To explore sexual practices of married women, which make them vulnerable to HIV infection in a rural setting, and the implications such practices have for the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Methodology: An ethnographic approach was used to explore the phenomenon of, which was sexual practices of married women, both ancient and contemporary. Unstructured interviews and focus group discussions were undertaken. The researcher applied the principle of theoretical saturation and a total of fifty participants were included in the study. All the interviews were taped and transcribed. Data analysis was done manually by the researcher, using themes and sub-themes. Findings: Married women engage in short term sexual relationships with secret lovers which are either concurrent or frequent while their husbands are away on migrant labour. A number of factors that cause women to engage in such risky sexual practices were identified. Some of these factors included scarcity of men due to migration and economical resources, the fact that women cannot negotiate safe sex due to gender and cultural factors; limited knowledge of infections particularly HIV/AIDS, life skills including their sexual rights and how to exercises these rights, and economic skills. Recommendations included the designing of an intervention program to sensitise and empower women on factors that make them vulnerable to HIV infection. Conclusions: Married women in the rural KwaZulu-Natal indulge in multiple concurrent or successive extramarital partnerships in the absence of their migrant men. These sexual practices place them in a vulnerable position to get HIV infection as they engage in risky sexual behavior without condom use. They also have fear of being rejected by their secret lovers and their own husbands because of women's economic dependency on men.
Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

[This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2019 issue of the journal Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, Volume 16] Aim/purpose The purpose of this article is to discuss the psychosocial and emotional outcomes of an introductory health science workshop designed to support and assist incoming health science students before starting their university study. Background For the past two decades, a South Australian university offered an on-campus face to face workshop titled ‘Preparation for Health Sciences’ to incoming first-year students from eleven allied health programs such as Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medical Imaging. While many were locals, a good number came from regional and rural areas, and many were international students also. They consisted of both on-campus and off-campus students. The workshop was created as a new learning environment that was available for students of diverse age groups, educational and cultural backgrounds to prepare them to study sciences. The content of the four-day workshop was developed in consultation with the program directors of the allied health programs. The objectives were to: introduce the assumed foundational science knowledge to undertake health sciences degree; gain confidence in approaching science subjects; experience lectures and laboratory activities; and become familiar with the University campus and its facilities. The workshop was delivered a week before the orientation week, before first-year formal teaching weeks. The topics covered were enhancing study skills, medical and anatomical terminology, body systems, basic chemistry and physics, laboratory activities, and assessment of learning. Methodology In order to determine the outcomes of the workshop, a survey was used requiring participants to agree or disagree about statements concerning the preparatory course and answer open-ended questions relating to the most important information learned and the best aspects of the workshop. Several students piloted this questionnaire before use in order to ascertain the clarity of instructions, terminology and statements. The result of the 2015-2018 pre- and post-evaluation showed that the workshop raised confidence and enthusiasm in commencing university and that the majority considered the workshop useful overall. The findings of the survey are drawn upon to examine the psychosocial and emotional impacts of the workshop on participants. Using secondary qualitative analysis, the researchers identified the themes relating to the psychosocial and emotional issues conveyed by the participants. Contribution The contributions of the article are in the areas of improving students’ confidence to complete their university degrees and increasing the likelihood of academic success. Findings Of the 285 students who participated in the workshops from 2015 to 2018, 166 completed the survey conducted at the conclusion of the initiative, representing a 58% response rate. The workshops achieved the objectives outlined at the outset. While there were many findings reported (Thalluri, 2016), the results highlighted in this paper relate to the psychosocial and emotional impacts of the workshop on students. Three themes emerged, and these were Increased preparedness and confidence; Networking and friendships that enhanced support, and Reduced anxiety to study sciences. Some drawbacks were also reported including the cost, time and travel involved. Recommendations for practitioners Students found the introductory workshop to be psychosocially and emotionally beneficial. It is recommended that the same approach be applied for teaching other challenging fields such as mathematics and physics within the university and in other contexts and institutions. Recommendations for researchers Improving and extending the workshop to provide greater accessibility and autonomy is recommended. A longitudinal study to follow up the durability of the workshop is also proposed. Impact on society The impacts in the broader community include: higher academic success for students; improved mental health due to social networking and friendship groups and reduced anxiety and fear; reduced dropout rate in their first year; greater potential to complete educational degrees; reduced wastage in human and financial resources; and increased human capital. Future research Addressing the limitations of cost, time and travel involved, and following-up with the participants’ academic and workplace performance are future directions for research.