Studying nursing at Australian satellite university campuses: A review of teaching, learning and support

Abstract

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Exploring the nursing student experience at a remote Australian university campus: a qualitative study

“…Data collection took place between September and November 2020. The researchers developed the interview framework following a review of the literature to investigate education and support strategies, and barriers and enablers to successful study at rural and remote satellite nursing campuses [ 15 ]. After an exploratory pilot interview, the questions were refined for the current study.…”

“…A recent review of the literature identified a lack of current qualitative research regarding experiences of students located at rural and remote satellite nursing campuses, particularly from the students’ perspective [ 15 ]. A deeper understanding of these students’ experiences may inform changes to course delivery, staffing, resources, and support strategies, leading to better retention and course completion rates.…”

Factors Influencing Retention among Regional, Rural and Remote Undergraduate Nursing Students in Australia: A Systematic Review of Current Research Evidence

“…Undergraduate nursing students from remote or Indigenous backgrounds faced some unique barriers to completing their nursing programs compared with urban nursing students, such as racism, discrimination, and disconnection [14,37]. Furthermore, for many of the students from remote or Indigenous backgrounds studying nursing at satellite university campuses in Australia, poor support and a lack of educational resources and services led to increased withdrawal from their courses [40]. To address the unique barriers and perspectives of students from remote or Indigenous backgrounds, previous systematic reviews [14,40] identified some successful practical strategies to improve the retention of Indigenous healthcare students.…”

“…Furthermore, for many of the students from remote or Indigenous backgrounds studying nursing at satellite university campuses in Australia, poor support and a lack of educational resources and services led to increased withdrawal from their courses [40]. To address the unique barriers and perspectives of students from remote or Indigenous backgrounds, previous systematic reviews [14,40] identified some successful practical strategies to improve the retention of Indigenous healthcare students. The suggested strategies were multilayered and were initiated before the students commenced at their universities, such as culturally appropriate recruitment, selection procedures, and mentoring services; appointing Indigenous lecturers; embedding Indigenous content within the curriculum; developing tutoring and mentoring programs; and working with the Indigenous Student Support Centre [14,40].…”

“…To address the unique barriers and perspectives of students from remote or Indigenous backgrounds, previous systematic reviews [14,40] identified some successful practical strategies to improve the retention of Indigenous healthcare students. The suggested strategies were multilayered and were initiated before the students commenced at their universities, such as culturally appropriate recruitment, selection procedures, and mentoring services; appointing Indigenous lecturers; embedding Indigenous content within the curriculum; developing tutoring and mentoring programs; and working with the Indigenous Student Support Centre [14,40]. Other original studies [25,41] have suggested that organizational support along with problem solving, flexibility, and peer cohesion, as well as mentoring circles (including the university environment, group identity, and emotional intelligence) could improve Aboriginal nursing students' retention in their courses.…”