News

In September, the Northern Territory (NT) Government announced their roadmap out of the pandemic, citing that vaccines are key to keeping Territorians safe. With this in mind, they have introduced a vaccination target of 80% by November 2021. 

The life of Adelaide dental nurse Vicki McFarlane changed dramatically when a friend shared her experience of working for RAHC. ‘I looked at the website and knew immediately this was for me,’ Vicki says. ‘So, I applied for leave from my part-time job with the South Australian Dental Service.’

The Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) was formed to increase the pool of urban-based Healthcare Professionals (HPs) available for work in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Several dedicated individuals recruit, orientate and deploy HPs to these communities, one of whom is Placement Coordinator Kirsti Randall.

When developing the Introduction to Remote Nursing Scope of Practice module, RAHC chose to work with an Aboriginal actor, Roxanne (Roxy) Mcdonald, to provide the voiceover to the animation. Roxy is a proud Aborignal woman descended from the Mandandanjii and Darambal tribes of Central Queensland.

In response to user feedback, the Remote Primary Health Care Manuals (RPHCM) editorial committee is trialling a new Acute Assessment Protocol to the Standard Treatment Manual. This protocol is designed to assist remote clinicians in escalating patient emergency care and reducing pressures in stressful situations.

The Audiology Australia AudA Conference is a CPD event for those in the audiology field looking to delve further into scientific research and education. This year’s theme, Audiology at the Cutting Edge: Connections for a Reimagined Future, intends to reflect the opportunity for field professionals to shape the future of audiology. 

After much planning, RAHC is excited to announce the rollout of a new advertising campaign targeting urban-based Health Professionals (HPs) and encouraging them to undertake a short-term paid placement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Northern Territory. 

Remote-area healthcare is highly rewarding yet highly challenging. "Self-care is the key to avoiding burnout in the bush. It is both prevention and cure", CRANAplus Bush Support Guide. To support health professionals working remote, RAHC is proud to announce the launch of its new free eLearning module - Resilience and Self-Care Out Bush. 
 

RAHC has appointed Tess McGuigan as the new Travel and Logistics Manager. She will be based out of our Darwin office.

‘There’s a lot of chronic ear disease. I’ve seen surgeries that I’ve never heard of down south, and I work in disadvantaged areas’

Victorian-based Audiologist Bridget Gale shares her experience working within remote indigenous communities and how Audiologist can “make quite a big difference” to the lives of Indigenous Australians. 

The Australian Government has formally extended the Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) for a further three years taking the program through to 30 June 2022.

The Northern Territory (NT) Department of Health (DoH) require that all Remote Area Nurses (RANs) who work for DoH have completed, or updated if necessary, all courses considered mandatory for remote practice. Future placements in NT DoH clinics will be affected if this requirement is not being met.