Rationale and protocol for the Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Outcomes Tracking (NAHGOT) study: a large-scale longitudinal investigation of graduate practice destinations

Abstract

Introduction: Inequitable distribution of health workforce limits access to healthcare services and contributes to adverse health outcomes. WHO recommends tracking health professionals from their points of entry into university and over their careers for the purpose of workforce development and planning. Previous research has focused on medical students and graduates' choice of practice location. Few studies have targeted nursing and allied health graduates' practice intentions and destinations. The Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Outcomes Tracking (NAHGOT) study is investigating factors affecting Australian nursing and allied health students and graduates' choice of graduate practice location over the course of their studies and up to 10 years after graduation by linking multiple data sources, including routinely collected university administrative and professional placement data, surveys of students and graduates, and professional registration data. Methods: By using a prospective cohort study design, each year a new cohort of about 2000 students at each participating university

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

“…Few studies examined nurses who, numerically, make up the majority of the rural health workforce and even fewer studies explored allied health professions. The paucity of non-medical workforce research when combined with the different conceptualization of rurality highlights some key knowledge gaps which need to be addressed, noting the recent establishment of the Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Outcome Tracking (NAHGOT) study that is compiling a multiinstitutional, multidisciplinary, longitudinal database to address this need [96]. In Australia, and internationally, there has historically been a significant focus on the medical workforce at a policy level, including training of students from rural backgrounds to redress rural and remote health workforce needs, which is evidenced by the studies retrieved [97].…”

“…However, research designed to address these knowledge gaps is in progress. The NAHGOT study has the potential to address some of the knowledge gaps regarding the place of practice of nursing and allied health graduates [96].…”

Factors influencing medical radiation science graduates’ early career principal place of practice: a retrospective cohort study

“…This study arises from the overarching Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Outcome Tracking (NAHGOT) study,18 a prospective longitudinal cohort study involving several Australian universities and multiple disciplines. That study aims to strengthen evidence for factors influencing nursing and allied health rural workforce recruitment and retention, using a large sample size over a 10‐year period.…”

“…This study was part of the much larger NAHGOT study, which includes multiple health professions and universities. 18 It lays a methodological foundation for further MRS graduate outcome tracking for up to 10 years following graduation using the NAHGOT protocol. The data linkage method avoids self-reporting and recall bias associated with survey data collection.…”

Return of the unexpected: Rural workforce recruitment and retention in the era of COVID‐19

“…We look forward to further publications from the Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Outcomes Tracking consortia. 16 …”