The development and evaluation of online stories to enhance clinical learning experiences across health professions in rural Australia
- Authors: Paliadelis, Penny , Stupans, Ieva , Parker, Vicki , Piper, Donella , Gillan, Pauline , Lea, Jackie , Jarrott, Helen Mary , Wilson, Rhonda , Hudson, Judith , Fagan, Anthea
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Collegian Vol. 22, no. 4 (2015), p.397-400
- Full Text: false
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'Right' for publication: Strategies for supporting novice writers across health and medical disciplines
- Authors: Paliadelis, Penny , Parker, Vicki , Parmenter, Glenda , Maple,
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Health Review Vol. , no. (2014), p.165-168
- Full Text: false
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Bush Battles: The Challenges of Providing Acute Health Care in Rural Contexts in Australia
- Authors: Parker, Vicki , Giles, Michelle , Parmenter, Glenda , Higgins, Isabel , Paliadelis, Penny , White, Angela
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: The 16th International Interdisciplinary Conference Vol. 9, p. 377-377
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Introduction. In Australia, the rural health care environment is characterized by increasing disadvantage in relation to access to services and resources. Within this context, health professionals are challenged to provide what they feel is good-quality health care in a community of which they are a part. This paper presents the results of a study which aimed to • identify challenges confronting health care professionals in rural acute care settings and • facilitate interprofessional collaboration in working toward improved patient outcomes and staff participation. Method. A mixed method approach involved a consultative, participatory process. An initial survey was followed by focus groups and workshops. The target population was health care professionals across disciplines, in rural acute care facilities within one large Area Health Service in NSW, Australia. Workshops facilitated interdisciplinary collaboration to identify strategies for addressing concerns with the aim of developing priorities for practice change projects. Results. Results highlighted issues to do with staffing, isolation and communication as most significantly impacting on staff and patient outcomes. Access to resources and support services was the most frequently cited challenge. Results were consistent across professions and sites within the Area Health service. Focus groups identified a range of issues related to geographic and professional isolation, working with and apart from larger centers, generalist practice, and insufficient services and staff. Conclusion. Findings point to the urgent need to support clinicians through the mobilization of strategies that are context specific, locally based and led, but at the same time transferrable across sites.
(W)riting across and within: Providing a vehicle for sharing local nursing and midwifery projects and innovation
- Authors: Parker, Vicki , Giles, Michelle , Parementer, Glenda , Paliadelis, Penny , Turner, Catherine
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nurse education in pracice Vol. 10, no. 6 (2010), p. 327-332
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Summary Introduction This paper describes the development and outcomes of a locally-based journal that is contributed to and managed by nurses, midwives and academics within an area health service (AHS) in NSW, Australia. Background Nurses and midwives are often engaged in scholarly and rigorous activities aimed at improving practice and patient outcomes. However, often these endeavours remain unreported, unpublished and hence not shared for the benefit of others. Reasons given for nurses’ and midwives’ persistent reluctance to publish are well documented in the literature. Lack of expertise and understanding of the publication process, together with lack of confidence and opportunity are the reasons most often cited. To overcome these barriers we developed a local journal called Handover that provides a non-threatening, supportive opportunity for nurses and midwives to develop skills in writing and reviewing articles for publication. Handover was established and is managed by editorial committee members from the area health service and the two local universities. Each institution agreed to co-fund the journal which is published twice yearly. Two editions of the journal have been published with wide ranging content and contributions from across the AHS. Writing mentorship and support systems have been established. Reviewers workshop have been conducted and novice reviewers mentored by experienced reviewers. Conclusion Our experience indicates that a locally based and owned journal can motivate and support novice writers and offers one solution to many of the barriers to publication identified in the literature. Keywords
Negotiating Intersections: Inter-Professional Practice in Rural Health Care Contexts
- Authors: Parker, Vicki , Mitchell, Rebecca , McNeil, Karen , Ahrens, Yvonne , Higgins, Isabel , Parmenter, Glenda , Paliadelis, Penny , Giles, Michelle
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: International Journal of Qualitative Methods Vol. 11, p. 750-751
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Health care in most contexts depends on teams of professionals with diverse skills working together synergistically to achieve optimal outcomes for patients and their families. The way is which interprofessional practice occurs in rural healthcare varies from that which occurs in metropolitan areas. This variation reflects the social, economic and geographic characteristics of rural communities. Further, rural workforce challenges and lack of access to resources and services are compounded by the difficulties associated with the intersection of speciality driven metropolitan models and the generalist models of care that are a feature of rural health care. This study’s aim was to examine how IPP happens in rural contexts, and to identify barriers, enablers and existing and potential models of IPP. Interviews were conducted with health professionals (nurses, doctors and allied health) in a range of rural healthcare contexts (Hospitals, GP practices, Multi-Purpose Services and Community centres) in NSW, Australia. Interview data were supplemented with document review and review of communication systems. Findings suggest that the nature of IPP in rural contexts is diverse and determined by a number of critical factors including rurality, connection to community, availability of staff, funding programs and specific interests and skills of staff. Rural IPP is characterised by a small numbers of professionals across few professions, focus on generalist practice and informal communication systems. IPP is growing in response to changes in government funding models and policy and through the establishment or strengthening of pivotal co-ordinating roles, with a clear mandate to involve other professionals and patients in decision making.
Effective interprofessional collaboration in rural contexts : A research protocol
- Authors: Mitchell, Rebecca , Paliadelis, Penny , McNeil, Karen , Parker, Vicki , Giles, Michelle , Higgins, Isabel , Parmenter, Glenda , Ahrens, Yvonne
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 69, no. 10 (2013), p. 2317-2326
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Abstract AIM: To describe the research protocol that will be used to investigate factors contributing to effective interprofessional practice in a rural context in Australia. BACKGROUND: Interprofessional practice is a key strategy for overcoming rural health challenges; however, our knowledge of interprofessional initiatives and consequences in rural areas is limited. DESIGN: A modified realistic evaluation approach will be used to explore the structures, systems, and social processes contributing to effective interprofessional outcomes. This 'context-mechanism-outcome' approach provides a useful framework for identifying why and how interprofessional practice works in rural contexts. METHOD: Initial propositions regarding the factors that explain effective collaborative practice will be generated through interviews with lead clinicians, policy-makers, and clinician managers. Clinician interviews, document analysis, and multi-participant focus groups will be used as evidence to support, refine, or redevelop the initial propositions. This will allow the development of a model of rural interprofessional practice that will explain how and why collaborative approaches work in rural environments. This study is funded by an Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching grant (January 2010). DISCUSSION: Rural healthcare challenges are well documented; however, studies investigating the nature of interprofessional practice in rural contexts are not common. Rural contexts also present research design, particularly data collection, challenges. This proposed research is one of the first to identify the factors that facilitate or constrain effective interprofessional work in rural settings. This is particularly important, given the continuing workforce shortages and maldistribution and poorer health outcomes in rural communities globally.