Rural and remote mental health placements for nursing students

Clinical placements can be instrumental in encouraging nursing students to consider a future career in rural Australia. Twenty nursing students from a metropolitan university were provided with the opportunity to undertake a clinical placement in mental health in a rural or remote setting. The majority of placements were between 2 and 4 weeks in length. They took place in community health centres and rehabilitation centres in New South Wales and in hospital inpatient facilities, remote areas and community health services in the Northern Territory. On return from the placement, students completed an open-question pro forma giving their views and impressions of their experiences and contrasting this with clinical experience gained in urban settings. The content of the students' responses was analysed and presented under the following themes: scale relating to urban and rural differences in population; geographical and health facility size; staffing matters; the environment; the students' perception of the clients; and professional interaction. Additional material relating to remote area placements is presented. Questions are raised about the maintenance of students' interest and the development of rural careers.