Support for Frontline Staff in Rural Aged Care: Making Telehealth a Successful Model

Nurse practitioners have the clinical capability to support healthcare delivery services in geographically isolated communities and readily demonstrate a cost-effective, safe and competent alternate model of primary care for older adults. Despite carefully evaluating the pre-implementation context, recruitment challenges resulted in the ability for only one nurse practitioner to provide a telehealth support model. Guard rails to practise in the setting, necessary within the current profile of rural aged care and government policy flux, resulted in poor engagement and use of the provided advanced practice support. 'Grow your own' strategies are recommended as one potential solution.