Back from the edge: reducing and preventing occupational stress in the remote area nursing workforce

Abstract:

Remote area practice is characterised by geographical, social and professional isolation - a small, dispersed and highly mobile population, climatic extremes, high population morbidity and mortality, an extended practice role, a multidisciplinary approach and cross-cultural issues affecting everyday life. Nurses who work in remote areas in Australia are called remote area nurses or ‘RANs’, and are defined as specialist practitioners that provide and coordinate a diverse range of health care services for remote, disadvantaged or isolated populations within Australia and her Territories and undertake appropriate educational preparation for their practice. The ‘Back from the Edge’ research program had two major objectives. • describe stressors and measure levels of occupational stress among registered nurses in very remote Australia • develop, implement and evaluate actions that reduce & prevent occupational stress.