Will they come back? Evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of Australia
Abstract Background Despite the benefits of rural placements in attracting healthcare professionals to rural areas, there remains a gap in understanding the specific impact of placements in remote and very remote areas of Australia, particularly within the unique context of the Kimberley region. The...
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BMC
2024-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06463-2 |
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| author | Robyn Doney Elyce Green Alice Munro James Debenham |
| author_facet | Robyn Doney Elyce Green Alice Munro James Debenham |
| author_sort | Robyn Doney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Despite the benefits of rural placements in attracting healthcare professionals to rural areas, there remains a gap in understanding the specific impact of placements in remote and very remote areas of Australia, particularly within the unique context of the Kimberley region. There is a need to elucidate differences across geographical areas and contribute to the knowledge about the specifics of where and how student placement programs work. This research explored the impact of a remote placement program at Majarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health (‘Majarlin’) on educational outcomes and workforce intentions of participating students. Methods This research evaluated student placement data and post-placement surveys of allied health, dentistry, midwifery and nursing students who had completed remote placements in the Kimberley region between 2018 and 2024. Placement numbers and demographic data from 2018 to 2023 were descriptively analysed, while post-placement surveys collected between January 2023 and June 2024 were used to examine educational outcomes, placement satisfaction, and rural practice intention. Results Between 2018 and 2023, Majarlin hosted 1111 students from 20 universities in remote and very remote regions, completing a total of 6068 weeks from 2018 to 2023. Post-placement surveys showed high levels of student satisfaction, with 96.2% also reporting improved clinical knowledge. Many students participated in voluntary positions in the community while completing their clinical placements, with 97.1% feeling that they had a positive impact on the community. All students reported that their cultural awareness and ability to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples improved. Notably, intention to work in remote areas significantly increased post-placement (p < .001). Conclusions The results of this study demonstrated that the remote student placement program improved students’ self-rated clinical knowledge, cultural awareness, and community engagement skills. The program significantly influenced students’ intention to work in remote areas after graduation. These results can be used to inform the design and delivery of similar remote student placement programs which aim to improve the rural health workforce pipeline, paving the way for a more equitable and effective healthcare system across Australia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e29138f8fcf343b38d848b5189df8a37 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-e29138f8fcf343b38d848b5189df8a372025-08-20T02:39:40ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202024-12-0124111010.1186/s12909-024-06463-2Will they come back? Evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of AustraliaRobyn Doney0Elyce Green1Alice Munro2James Debenham3Majarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health, University of Notre DameThree Rivers Department of Rural Health, Charles Sturt UniversityMajarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health, University of Notre DameMajarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health, University of Notre DameAbstract Background Despite the benefits of rural placements in attracting healthcare professionals to rural areas, there remains a gap in understanding the specific impact of placements in remote and very remote areas of Australia, particularly within the unique context of the Kimberley region. There is a need to elucidate differences across geographical areas and contribute to the knowledge about the specifics of where and how student placement programs work. This research explored the impact of a remote placement program at Majarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health (‘Majarlin’) on educational outcomes and workforce intentions of participating students. Methods This research evaluated student placement data and post-placement surveys of allied health, dentistry, midwifery and nursing students who had completed remote placements in the Kimberley region between 2018 and 2024. Placement numbers and demographic data from 2018 to 2023 were descriptively analysed, while post-placement surveys collected between January 2023 and June 2024 were used to examine educational outcomes, placement satisfaction, and rural practice intention. Results Between 2018 and 2023, Majarlin hosted 1111 students from 20 universities in remote and very remote regions, completing a total of 6068 weeks from 2018 to 2023. Post-placement surveys showed high levels of student satisfaction, with 96.2% also reporting improved clinical knowledge. Many students participated in voluntary positions in the community while completing their clinical placements, with 97.1% feeling that they had a positive impact on the community. All students reported that their cultural awareness and ability to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples improved. Notably, intention to work in remote areas significantly increased post-placement (p < .001). Conclusions The results of this study demonstrated that the remote student placement program improved students’ self-rated clinical knowledge, cultural awareness, and community engagement skills. The program significantly influenced students’ intention to work in remote areas after graduation. These results can be used to inform the design and delivery of similar remote student placement programs which aim to improve the rural health workforce pipeline, paving the way for a more equitable and effective healthcare system across Australia.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06463-2Rural healthHealth workforceInterdisciplinary placementStudentsHealth occupationsStudents |
| spellingShingle | Robyn Doney Elyce Green Alice Munro James Debenham Will they come back? Evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of Australia BMC Medical Education Rural health Health workforce Interdisciplinary placement Students Health occupations Students |
| title | Will they come back? Evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of Australia |
| title_full | Will they come back? Evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of Australia |
| title_fullStr | Will they come back? Evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Will they come back? Evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of Australia |
| title_short | Will they come back? Evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of Australia |
| title_sort | will they come back evaluation of health student placements in remote and very remote regions of australia |
| topic | Rural health Health workforce Interdisciplinary placement Students Health occupations Students |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06463-2 |
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