Training for rural doctors has, quite rightly, received a lot of attention lately, but what about rural nurses?
With more than 20 years of rural nursing experience in Ashburton, Karly Smith believes there is an education gap around what is needed to be a rural nurse in Aotearoa New Zealand.
To solve the problem she has joined the University of Otago – https://www.otago.ac.nz/dsm-gprh/centre-for-rural-health/rural-health-academic-centre,-ashburtonRural Health Academic Centre Ashburton (RHACA) as a lecturer and started work to develop a rural nursing education pathway.
She believes such a programme, where components parallel the rural hospital training pathway for doctors, would enable both professions to have skills unique to the rural health environment and allow them to work more synergistically.
"The advantage of creating this programme is that rural nursing would be seen as a specialty in itself, much like a cardiac nurse. It would elevate the status of this demanding role, which requires a significant breadth of knowledge.
"The programme would also offer the contextual and specialist knowledge needed to better support local rural communities," she says.
While Karly is still exploring potential options and engaging with stakeholders about what the pathway would specifically offer, she envisions it would include shorter courses which would provide a wider range of study options, reflecting the breadth of skills required by rural nurses.
"The pathway needs to recognise the sometimes isolating experience and lack of physical and digital infrastructure that some rural nurses experience."
RHACA Director Dr Chris Hill is pleased about what the pathway would mean for rural healthcare and rural communities.
"Rural medicine has benefited greatly from the work done by the team at RHACA, bringing relevant research and education from rural practitioners into focus.
"It is great to be able to now shine a light on the research and education needs of rural nursing. Karly has a unique opportunity to grow a programme designed from within which focuses on the rural context of delivering care," he says.
Karly's position is supported by funding from Advance Ashburton and the Mackenzie Charitable Foundation.
Advance Ashburton Chair Mary Ross is excited about her appointment.
"Nursing is such an integral part of any health system, no matter where or when. Rural nursing is unique in that it requires its own special skills, personal ability and individual empathy. It requires knowledge, and confidence along with a real understanding of rurality.
"To have Karly accept this role and endeavour to meet the goals of the position is a great step for the health of rural New Zealanders."
Another aspect of Karly's new role will see her helping to manage RHACA's simulation suite, which caters for skills training and courses specifically designed for rural hospital teams in Aotearoa, including the Rural Inter-professional Simulation Course.
As RHACA has evolved through the years, the learning pathways of simulation students has strengthened.
"While students are anxious about engaging in simulation learning, they also love it – it provides them with the confidence that they need when they encounter similar real-world situations," she says.
Ultimately, Karly would love to see more simulation courses with an interdisciplinary element, allowing students to learn in a team – nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals – which more closely resembles the reality of their work.
