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

Abstract

Objective Combined, nursing and allied health constitute most of the Australian health workforce; yet, little is known about graduate practice destinations. University Departments of Rural Health have collaborated on the Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Outcomes Tracking to investigate graduate entry into rural practice. Design Data linkage cohort study. Setting Monash University and the University of Newcastle. Participants Graduates who completed their degree in 2017 across seven disciplines. Main outcome measure(s) The outcome variable was Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency principal place of practice data. Explanatory variables included discipline, age, gender, location of origin, and number and duration of rural placements. Result Of 1130 graduates, 51% were nurses, 81% females, 62% under 21 years at enrolment, 23% of rural origin, 62% had at least one rural student placement, and 23% had over 40 cumulative rural placement days. At the time of their second Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency registration, 18% worked in a ‘Rural principal place of practice.’ Compared to urban, rural origin graduates had 4.45 times higher odds ratio of ‘Rural principal place of practice.’ For graduates who had <20 cumulative rural placement days, compared to zero the odds ratio of ‘Rural principal place of practice’ was the same (odds ratio = 1.10). For those who had 20‐40 rural placement days, the odds ratio was 1.93, and for >40 rural placement days, the odds ratio was 4.54). Conclusion Rural origin and more rural placement days positively influenced graduate rural practice destinations. Outcomes of cumulative placements days may compare to immersive placements.

Approaches Used to Describe, Measure, and Analyze Place of Practice in Dentistry, Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Rural Graduate Workforce Research in Australia: A Systematic Scoping Review

“…Of the two studies that included both nursing and allied health graduates, predictors of rural practice were identified. Entering rural practice in the first year after graduation was a predictor of long-term rural practice for graduates 15 to 17 years after their rural placement [69], while being of rural origin and having more rural placement days were also predictors of rural graduate practice [9].…”

“…Research has found that students who have completed an extended period of their undergraduate medical education and training in one or more rural locations are more likely to practice in these settings as graduates [7]. For nursing and allied health students, cumulative rural placements of greater than 20 days have been associated with a greater likelihood of rural practice following graduation [9]. Studies have also found that allied health graduates of rural origin are over twice as likely to practice in a rural or remote workplace, when compared to graduates from metropolitan areas [6].…”

Whole of Community Facilitators: An Exemplar for Supporting Rural Health Workforce Recruitment through Students’ Professional Experience Placements

“…Hence, WOCFs are invaluable to positive placement experiences in rural Tasmania. Importantly, this may lead to students seeking employment opportunities within rural healthcare environments following successful completion of their course, as noted by Sutton et al [ 2 , 25 ].…”

“…The project is novel because it uses a broad approach with support directed at host staff and supervisors as the primary means through which students’ placement experiences are improved, including the quality of supervision received. In this way, the initiative aims to indirectly influence students’ future career choices and encourage their return to placement communities after graduation, and thereby achieve the primary aim of increasing the potential future rural healthcare workforce [ 2 ]. The sustainability of rural healthcare workforces is an issue of significant importance, and the Australian Government has invested heavily in initiatives attempting to address this concern.…”

‘I can't go, I can't afford it’: Financial concern amongst health students undertaking rural and remote placements during COVID‐19

“…In an effort to address rural and remote health workforce shortages, contribute to the health and well‐being of rural and remote communities, and foster a pipeline of graduates into rural and remote practice post‐graduation, there has been an increasing focus on ensuring students undertake placements in rural or remote locations. 1 , 2 , 3 However, there are substantial barriers for students undertaking placement experiences in rural and remote locations, including social, academic and geographical isolation, travel distance and limited accommodation availability. 4 The cost of undertaking a placement away from a usual place of residence can also present significant financial challenges.…”