Nursing in Remote Areas of Australia

Working in Remote Areas

Remote areas of Australia often have a need of nurses and other medical professionals who are willing to travel to the area and provide their unique services. Before deciding if remote nursing is a good option for individual career goals, it is important to understand what to expect. Knowing the challenges that come with the rural areas as well as the benefits of the profession will result in better understanding of whether the job is suitable.

Isolation Challenge:

One of the potential challenges of remote Nursing jobs in Australia is the potential isolation. Nurses who plan to go to a remote area must prepare mentally for few people. Remote nursing is highly isolated when compared to working in a city or even a small rural town. The nurses need to keep in mind that the area will have few people and might feel lonely as a result. This is one of the main challenges to mental health.

Isolation leads to loneliness. Anyone who is thinking of remote Nursing jobs in Australia that are located in remote and rural areas should keep this in mind. While the isolation might lead to some depression due to loneliness, it also provides an opportunity to see nature in its natural form without the interference of human dwellings, large buildings or cities. For some, the majesty of the beautiful environment might make the isolation feel comforting.

Lack of Social Opportunities Challenge:

The lack of social opportunities goes hand in hand with the isolation of the area. Fewer people means the social interaction is much lower than it is in large cities and towns. Nurses should expect that they will spend days when they are not able to interact with anyone due to few people available in the area.

Social parties and gatherings are unlikely or rare in remote areas. For some, this lack of social interaction might create problems. Not only is it a potential for depression and loneliness, it can also diminish social skills upon returning.

For those who are less inclined to spending time in social activities, this challenge might not create a problem. It can cause some problems for those who are socially active and feel a need to interact on a regular basis.

As a nurse, it is likely that some daily interaction with a doctor or other nurses in the same program will occur. If daily contact with a doctor is not possible nurses can expect their work checked by a doctor on a reasonable basis, such as once a week or once every other week. The exact plan will vary depending on the location and the situation.

Increased Income Opportunity:

As a nurse willing to spend time in a remote area, the opportunity to make more money is a distinct advantage over the cities. Nurses who are willing to spend time in rural and remote areas are rare, particularly when considering the potential for depression and loneliness due to the limited social interactions and highly isolated area.

As a result of nurses who are not willing to travel to the remote areas of Australia, the pay is often higher than elsewhere. Monetary compensation goes up as a result of working in an undesirable location for nursing.

Broad Experience Opportunity:

Like the increased income, another positive of working in remote areas is the potential to gain unique experiences that are useful in a nursing career later. Nurses who work in isolated areas with little supervision as a result of limited doctors can expect to spend time working on cases that they otherwise would not. Sometimes, the nurse might be the only medical professional in the area, meaning that he or she is the only one available to treat the problems that arise with the local people.

It is possible to gain a better knowledge of medical practices as well as a broader experience by going into the rural and remote area.

The broad experience is not only limited to medical practices. It also applies to life experiences. Nurses who work in isolated areas of Australia are likely to learn more about themselves and nature in their environment. They are also likely to see and work with indigenous people, which teaches about different cultures and ideas that otherwise might be easily overlooked in an urban environment.

Planning:

Understanding the opportunities and the problems is only part of the situation. Nurses must plan their move carefully, selecting what they need based on the location and typical climate conditions. Many items will need to remain behind as they are not useful in the rural environment.

Nurses should also plan their financial goals. The opportunity to make more money means more funding is available to reach future goals. Planning out spending and saving will help make the transition go smoothly.

Working in a remote area is not easy. It comes with challenges that are rarely seen in urban environments. Despite the complications, it is an experience of a lifetime and for many Nurses it is worth the challenges.