GOING RURAL HEALTH NEWS
The Going Rural Health Newsletter
Edition 21 - February 2022
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Welcome to Going Rural Health News! Going Rural Health News is the publication of new and relevant information about all things related to rural clinical placements, education and rural health, from the Going Rural Health team. Team members are located in Ballarat, Shepparton and Wangaratta.

Since our last newsletter, where things were looking up COVID-wise, we've been on a health rollercoaster. The emergence of the highly infectious Omicron variant, coupled with increased people movement - Christmas and New Year events, and holidays - has meant a spike in COVID cases, hospitals being overwhelmed (including, for the first time, those in many rural towns), health worker exhaustion, code browns, aged care in lockdown, changes in COVID testing and isolation requirements... the list goes on. Rural people have, as rural people do, banded together and done a lot with a little, coping as best they can with a situation few people alive have seen. We have never appreciated our health professionals more, and they deserve our gratitude and respect.

Students on placements are also in the thick of how health systems are coping, helping out while they are learning. Hats off to our future workforce! We'll continue to support them as best we can, as well as those who are supporting our students.

However, the trend of COVID cases may now be on the downward slope. Fingers crossed, for everyone, that this is the case. Stay safe and well everyone; wear masks where required, socially distance and keep those hands clean. Every little bit helps.

 The Going Rural Health team

In this month's edition:

Going Rural Health student support

Going Rural Health New Team Members

Rural Placements wanted!

Rural Job Vacancies

Going Rural Health Extended Rural Immersion Clinic (ERIC)

Going Rural Health Education & University of Melbourne Department of Rural Health Webinars

External Education & Resources

Going Rural Health and University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) Research

Going Rural Health Website

Going Rural Health Student Support

NOTE: Support continuing for 2022-2024

Going Rural Health supports students to complete rural clinical placements. Support includes financial assistance, subsidised accommodation in selected areas, education, mentoring support, student activities, & cultural training.  For financial assistance, eligible students may only receive EITHER subsidised accommodation at University of Melbourne owned housing (where available, subject to availability) OR a financial payment for their placement (not both). Financial payment is calculated per day of attendance at placement.

From 2022, longer placements and those in smaller rural centres will attract more financial assistance. More information on the Going Rural Health Student Support Scheme, including how to apply & eligibility criteria, is available HERE.

As always, we are trying to ensure that students get the best placement experience possible. Please help us to do this by directing students to complete our Student Placement Survey. It is a short online survey that should only take students 10-15 minutes to complete.

Going Rural Health New Team Members

Going Rural Health has welcomed new team members!

 

Olivia Aringo joined the team in mid-December as the Going Rural Health Administration Officer. Olivia has a background in administration and finance, and will be based in Ballarat. She has really hit the ground running, continuing to make student bursary applications and payments run smoothly.

 

A big thank-you to Kathy Lynch who helped the team out for a few months with the majority of administration and finance payments while we were recruiting, and also other members of the Department of Rural Health who assisted. It is a very important part of our program, and we can't thank everyone enough for their assistance.

 

Kimberley Giankos joined the team in early January, as an Associate Lecturer in Interprofessional Rural Education. Kim is an Occupational Therapist from Shepparton who has worked in hospital and community settings, and is familiar with the health needs of rural and regional towns.

 

And finally, we welcome Lauren Woodhart to the Ballarat team, also as Associate Lecturer in Interprofessional Rural Education. Lauren has been a part of the Going Rural Health program for a few years now, working with us as a casual physiotherapy supervisor, but has now accepted a part-time role with the team.

 

A warm Going Rural Health welcome to all new team members!

WANTED: Rural Placements

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a backlog of placements for universities for many disciplines, which will end up leading to delays in students graduating, and as a result less health professionals available for the workforce.

 

Do you think your organisation might be able to host a nursing or allied health student (or two)? Going Rural Health can help you develop placements and support placement students.

 

For more information please contact Trish Thorpe at  trish.thorpe@unimelb.edu.au

Rural Job Vacancies

The team are now providing another platform for rural and regional organisations to advertise their employment opportunities to our network. Please feel free to send the details of any vacancies to Trish Thorpe at trish.thorpe@unimelb.edu.au

Going Rural Health Extended Rural Immersion Clinic (ERIC)

In 2021, Going Rural Health have organised a new 'Extended Rural Immersion Clinic' (ERIC) for physiotherapy students.  This will continue for 2022.

 

ERIC students complete multiple consecutive rural placements over an extended period, from 10-20 weeks, to immerse the students in the rural community. Emerging research evidence shows that immersion placements for nursing and allied health students are more likely to result in students working in rural locations.

 

If your organisation would like to participate in this program, please contact the Going Rural Health team at going-ruralhealth@unimelb.edu.au

 

Going Rural Health Education

Online Going Rural Health Education

Going Rural Health have a new Learning Centre on the Going Rural Health website. Access the Learning Centre HERE. 

Participants will need to register for the website, log-in and enroll in courses. Certificates of completion will be automatically generated upon successful completion of courses. If you have any problems with this process please contact the team at going-ruralhealth@unimelb.edu.au

Courses will be added as they are released, but the site currently has 7 courses live:

  • Online Introduction to Rural Practice: this is our updated course introducing students and new staff to practicing in a rural community. Great for those new to rural health.
  • Wellbeing and Resilience: an updated version of our Resilience module, the course has been moved to the Learning Centre for easier access. Health professionals - including health students - as a group don't tend to look after themselves well; this course gives insight and tips as to how to look after ourselves better.
  • Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback: This is a combination of our original two separate courses (Giving Feedback, and Receiving Feedback), as much of the content was similar. Provides tips to better receive feedback, especially if it is negative, and ways to provide more effective feedback to staff and students.
  • Communication: Tools to optimise your communication skills and ensure the perceived message is the intended message.
  • Social Media Posting for Health Professionals. A package, particularly for young health students or experienced health professionals new to social media, that discusses the pitfalls and risks associated with social media posting on various platforms.
  • Responding Effectively to Upset and Complaining Patients or Family. This course discusses methods to work with these individuals for best outcomes.
  • Critical Thinking & Clinical Reasoning. This topic discusses what critical thinking is and how to implement into your everyday practice as a health practitioner.

 

Online Cultural Training - for Students ONLY

Going Rural Health, in collaboration with a Yorta Yorta traditional custodian from the Shepparton region, have developed an online cultural training course for students. The course can be accessed via our website HERE.

Education - February/March 2022

STAFF:

Introduction to Supervision Workshop

UPDATED LOCATION - Online: 27th January, 9am - 12pm

Shepparton: 21st February, 10am - 1pm

More information and bookings via this link HERE.

 

Advanced Supervision Workshop

Event dates 2022:

Wangaratta: 22nd March, 10am-12pm

Zoom (any region): 21st April, 10am-12pm

Shepparton: 26th May, 2-4pm

Cost: $50

Bookings essential. For more information, and to book, visit our booking page  HERE.

 

Introduction to Perioperative Practice - A short course

***Limited subsidised places available.***

Course Duration: 14th Feb - 18th March 2022

Cost: Subsidised - $75 (valued at $250)

Content is delivered online, via participants working through a workbook and completing assessment tasks.

For more information, and to register, visit the link HERE.

 

STUDENTS:

Effective Communication Workshop

Where: Via Zoom. Details will be emailed to attendees prior to the workshop.

When: Tuesday 14th February 2022, 10am - 12pm

More information, and to book, visit the link HERE.

 

Student Tutorials 2022

Aimed at students but also suitable for new graduates.

Ownership of Learning: February 2nd, 3.30-4.30pm, via Zoom

Building Career Readiness Skills: February 10th, 1.30-2.30pm, via Zoom

Communication Training: February 15th, 10am-12pm, via Zoom

Ownership of Learning: February 24th, 8.30-9.30am, via Zoom

Building Career Readiness Skills: March 7th, 10-11am, via Zoom

Critical Thinking & Clinical Reasoning: March 15th, 9.30-10.30am, via Zoom

Ownership of Learning: March 17th, 9-10am, via Zoom

More information, and to book, visit: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/9u7i

Cultural Competency in Aboriginal Health Training

The Department of Rural Health invites allied health, pharmacy, nursing and medical students from all Universities to participate in a free Cultural Competency in Aboriginal Health training workshop. Robynne Nelson delivers a highly informative and valuable session on Cultural Competency in Aboriginal Health, helping you to increase your skills and knowledge for working with Indigenous people and communities in a more culturally appropriate and effective way.

Shepparton details:

When:  Thursday 5th May, 9.30am-3.30pm

             Thursday 4th August, 9.30am-3.30pm

             Thursday 13th October, 9.30am-3.30pm

Where: University of Melbourne Rural Campus, 49 Graham St Shepparton

 

Wangaratta details:

When:   Friday 1st April, 9.30am-3.30pm

              Thursday 22nd September, 9.30am-3.30pm

Where: University of Melbourne Rural Campus, 'The Chalet' Docker St, Wangaratta

 

Shepparton and Wangaratta workshops are for STUDENTS ONLY. COVID-19 requirements apply.

Bookings essential. For more information, and to book, visit http://go.unimelb.edu.au/9u7i

 

Ballarat details:

The Going Rural Health team at the University of Melbourne Department of Rural Health invites all nursing and allied health students to participate in Aboriginal Cultural Insight Experience Virtual Workshops. Nursing and allied health university and health service staff are also welcome to attend. Traditional Owner Bonnie Chew will conduct virtual cultural awareness workshops introducing students and staff to past and present Aboriginal Australia. These sessions will give students and staff an insight into the Aboriginal history in Australia and an opportunity to discuss meeting the health and well-being needs of today’s community in a meaningful and culturally appropriate manner.

When: Tuesday 31st May, 9.30am-4.30pm.

(Further workshops are planned for July and November, and will be advertised in future newsletters.)

Where: University of Melbourne Rural Campus, 806 Mair St, Ballarat.

Cost: Staff $30. Students: FREE. 

COVID-19 requirements apply.

Bookings essential. To book, visit our Eventbrite page HERE. NOTE: Students - please contact Trish Thorpe trish.thorpe@unimelb.edu.au for student booking links.

 

Please contact the education team via the Going Rural Health email address: going-ruralhealth@unimelb.edu.au  for details of all education, if any issues with bookings, or to book a virtual session from the education list at Education topics.

New Interdisciplinary Graduate Education & Learning (NiGEL) Series

Going Rural Health introduced a new free education series for graduates and early career health professionals in 2021. This series was intended to support new graduates and early career professionals to develop their transferable skills and non-discipline-specific knowledge in health care. 

After discussions with multiple health service staff, these sessions will be recorded and accessible soon via the Going Rural Health Learning Centre as part of a learning series (NIGEL Series). A discussion board will be made available to participants for some topics, to simulate the conversations which would normally occur in a live event. This will be monitored periodically by Going Rural Health staff.

For more information please contact:

Trish Thorpe trish.thorpe@unimelb.edu.au

External Education & Resources

Free Student Resource From CRANA plus:

Adapting Self-Care Practices During Clinical Placement

The resource is for any student preparing for a placement in a rural or remote setting. To access the resource, visit the webpage HERE. 

 

Allied Health Clinical Educators Network Clinical Supervision Modules

The Allied Health Clinical Educators’ Network (AHCEN), has released some modules on training staff in clinical supervision. They include:

  • Setting up a clinical supervision relationship
  • Providing effective feedback
  • Developing Clinical Reasoning through Supervision
  • Supporting Wellbeing through Clinical Supervision

For more details see the document HERE.

 

Head to Help: A Free Mental Health Service For All Victorians

This is a service available through the Primary Health Network (PHN), for Victorians of any age experiencing mental ill-health - whether they have a GP mental health plan or not. The service is FREE, and no appointments are required.

Phone: 1800 595 212 8.30am - 5pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays).

For more details see the website HERE.

NOTE: This is NOT a crisis service.

For urgent support call Lifeline on 13 11 14

Out of hours and weekends call Beyond Blue on 1800 512 348.

 

Yarning SafeNStrong - A New Counselling Service for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples

The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service has established Yarning SafeNStrong: a free and confidential counselling service for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The service is available 24 hours, 7 days a week to people and families who need to have a yarn with someone about their wellbeing.

Phone: 1800 959 563

For more information see the website HERE.

 

Three Rivers UDRH

Three Rivers UDRH supports health professionals, staff and students by offering free online courses. The following two courses are especially relevant:

Three Rivers UDRH Rural Clinical Placements – How to grow your own course .

Three Rivers UDRH Telehealth - Embracing Technology in Healthcare

 

Student telehealth placements resource

There is a great resource available from SARRAH about student telehealth placements. It is a copy of the presentation from a recent webinar. Access it via the link below:

SARRAH webinar student TH placements Robyn Gill

 

PHN resources

WestVic PHN and Murray PHN also have education available in regional and rural areas. See their websites for details of what is on in your region:

WestVic PHN: https://westvicphn.com.au/events-education/upcoming-events/

Murray PHN: https://www.murrayphn.org.au/events/

Going Rural Health & UDRH Research

The Going Rural Health program sits within the University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) of The University of Melbourne. The UDRH undertakes a number of research projects, some of which relate to student placements - from both the student perspective, and of those who support students (supervisors and placement support staff).

 

Student Placement Survey

As previously mentioned, Going Rural Health are trying to ensure that students get the best placement experience possible. Please help us to do this by directing students to complete our Student Placement Survey. It is a short online survey that should only take students 10-15 minutes to complete.

 

Supervisor & Placement Support Staff Survey

Going Rural Health are undertaking a research project to gain a better understanding of rural clinical placements, from the perspective of those who support students (supervisors and placement support staff). Many of you will have already received an email from one of the Going Rural Health team members to invite you to participate, and to encourage you to share the invite with your colleagues. Visit the Going Rural Health webpage HERE for more details.

 

If you would like any further information on any of these projects, please contact the Going Rural Health team at going-ruralhealth@unimelb.edu.au .

Going Rural Health Website

www.goingruralhealth.com.au

All our resources for students and staff/supervisors can still be found in the student or staff menus. Please feel free to contact us at going-ruralhealth@unimelb.edu.au if you have any items to add or queries regarding content.

The website has a new videos page, that contains all videos relevant to student rural placements. Find the new page HERE.

Contact Details

Newsletter: To subscribe or change your subscription, please click here.

If you would like to contribute to Going Rural Health news please email your contribution to trish.thorpe@unimelb.edu.au

Phone: (03) 8344 6791

Email: going-ruralhealth@unimelb.edu.au

Website: www.goingruralhealth.com.au 

Blog: https://goingruralhealth.com.au/going-rural-health-blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoingRuralHealth/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoingRuralHlth

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The University of Melbourne Department of Rural Health acknowledges the financial support provided by the Australian Government, through the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training program, for the Going Rural Health program.
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which our campuses are located, pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Indigenous Australians.
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