Location
Generally, you have to travel to a remote setting, sometimes hours by road. Some remote places require a plane to get to, especially after a wet season as dirt roads can get cut off with water. A benefit of remote locations is that there’s no traffic or traffic lights! The Modified Monash Model can be a helpful guide to remoteness.
Staffing
There are less staff based in a remote clinical facility (hospital or clinic) as there are less services available. In some settings there are no doctors on site permanently; instead, they’re on call via phone or teleconference.
In others, they visit regularly, such as once a week. In urban settings, you may have dozens of nurses in each department, along with clinical educators, managers, ancillary staff, admin staff and even emergency services with a simple 000 call. In a remote setting, the emergency services often consist of nurses or Aboriginal health practitioners. Specialists may visit remote regions less frequently, and referrals are required for some procedures such as surgery, scans, and X-rays, which are often done in urban facilities.
Skill set
Although there are many skills required to work in a metropolitan hospital, especially in specialist contexts such as Emergency and Intensive Care, working in a remote setting requires nurses to be ‘general specialists’ which means having varied experience, knowledge and skill across multiple areas. This may range from emergency skills, primary health care, health promotion, chronic diseases, palliative care, mental health, women’s health, and child’s health.
Resources
In many cases in remote settings, there may only be one or two shops available, a school and limited sports or community groups.
Lifestyle
Major differences with lifestyles will depend on the location. Most remote places won’t have a coffee shop down the road but will have beautiful landscapes for walking, fishing, and camping.
