Students network for rural health

October 02, 2007

University of New England students from a range of health-related disciplines became the newest members of the National Rural Health Network (NRHN) recently, joining fellow students interested in augmenting the health workforce and improving health outcomes in rural and remote Australia.

The network is the peak body for health students across Australia with an interest in rural and remote health. The UNE chapter, founded mostly by enthusiastic nursing students, is ready to welcome members from any health-related discipline – including, for example, medicine and psychology – as one of the main aims of the network is to encourage multidisciplinary interaction among students.

Claire Seiffert, co-Chair of the NRHN and a medical student at the Australian National University, said that the new UNE club was joining 21 other clubs around Australia comprising a multidisciplinary network of 5,000 health students.

"The aim of the club is to support rural students who are studying in rural and city areas and ultimately enhance recruitment and retention in rural areas upon graduation," Ms Seiffert said. "We also promote awareness of rural health issues around the nation."

Second-year UNE nursing students Peta McDonald and Melanie Williams, who are members of the new UNE club, joined about 40 other delegates from clubs around the nation at a conference in Melbourne on 21 September. As well as providing support for health students, they hope to promote health awareness at UNE and around the district by undertaking activities such as visiting local high schools to conduct workshops encouraging students to pursue a career in health.

Funded by the Department of Health and Ageing, the NRHN is also a national sponsor of the Croc Festival and has collaborated with Beyond Blue to produce When the Cowpat Hits the Windmill, a mental health guide for university students that promotes wellbeing and self-care.

A number of UNE academics, including Associate Professor John Nevin from UNE’s School of Rural Medicine, and nursing lecturers Jan Brown, Dr Yoni Luxford, Dr Angie Smith and Dr Lyn Irwin, lent their support to the students by attending the inaugural meeting of the club.

The New England chapter of the National Rural Health Network can be contacted by email on: nercha@une.edu.au

THE PHOTOGRAPH of UNE nursing student Peta McDonald (left) and NRHN co-Chair Claire Seiffert displayed here expands to include (far left) UNE nursing student Melanie Williams and (far right) NRHN Project Officer Linda Nink.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at October 2, 2007 03:38 PM