Profile and rural exposure for nursing and allied health students at two Australian Universities: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Objective Linking enrolment and professional placement data for students' from 2 universities, this study compares characteristics across universities and health disciplines. The study explores associations between students' location of origin and frequency, duration and type of placements. Design Retrospective cohort data linkage. Setting Two Australian universities, Monash University and the University of Newcastle. Participants Students who completed medical radiation science, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy or physiotherapy at either university between 2 February 2017 and 28 February 2018. Interventions Location of origin, university and discipline of enrolment. Main outcome measure(s) Main measures were whether graduates had multiple rural placements, number of rural placements and cumulative rural placement days. Location of origin, discipline and university of enrolment were the main explanatory variables. Secondary dependent variables were age, sex, socio‐economic indices for location of origin, and available placements. Results A total of 1,315 students were included, of which 22.1% were of rural origin. The odds of rural origin students undertaking a rural placement was more than 4.5 times greater than for urban origin students. A higher proportion of rural origin students had multiple rural placement (56.0% vs 14.9%), with a higher mean number of rural placement days. Public hospitals were the most common placement type, with fewer in primary care, mental health or aged care. Conclusions There is a positive association between rural origin and rural placements in nursing and allied health. To help strengthen recruitment and retention of graduates this association could be further exploited, while being inclusive of non‐rural students

Destinations of nursing and allied health graduates from two Australian universities: A data linkage study to inform rural placement models

“…The dichotomy, however, is that, overall, there was evidently a slight drift towards major cities, with 23% of the cohort being of rural origin but only 18% having a 'Rural PPP.' The reasons for this are not clear but may be accounted by factors such as differences between the 2 universities' catchment populations, 38 as well as there being relatively less employment opportunity and perceptions of limited opportunities for professional growth and career advancement outside the major cities. 39,40 This also requires further investigation as part of the ongoing NAHGOT study.…”

Investigating first‐year graduate paramedics’ reason for current work location: A cross‐sectional, data linkage study

“…Age was initially reported as a continuous variable and was collapsed into a binary variable for analysis (<21 or ≥21 years), where ≥21 years are considered 'mature age' entrants into Australian universities. 22 Degree type was split into 3 groups: first, Bachelor of Emergency Health/Paramedicine, encompassing Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic), Bachelor of Emergency Health/Paramedic (Honours) and Bachelor of Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice; secondly, Bachelor of Nursing and Emergency Health/Paramedicine; and lastly, Master of Emergency Health. AHPRA data related to graduates' principal place of practice were registration status and the ASGS-RA code for their current workplace (defined as rural or metropolitan).…”

Beyond the black stump: rapid reviews of health research issues affecting regional, rural and remote Australia

“…Unlike other data sources, universities hold admission and professional placement data not available elsewhere. The protocol will soon be available 4 and the first peer reviewed publications from NAHGOT have now been published, 5,6 and as the project expands it is anticipated it will become a major contributor to workforce planning and augment established efforts in medicine.…”