The gap between undergraduate education and the advanced role of health professionals in remote areas has long been recognised by remote practitioners, writes Robyn Aitkin. Remote Australia makes up over three quarters of the Australian landmass. The population living in ...

Announced as part of the 2010 Health Reform, Medicare Locals will be rolled out as early as in the middle of this year. However, groups in the field are still divided in opinion regarding the plan, writes Jeff Li. In ...

Farmers with acute chest pain are uncertain how and when to seek help, study finds. Agriculture workers put themselves at risk of dying, says a pilot study examining the prevalence of cardiac risk factors in the group and of their ...

Report findings promote need for improvements in the bush. Two new reports show people in country Australia are missing “out badly” on access to primary health services, according to the National Rural Health Alliance. Between them, they show a primary ...

The health debate must be shifted away from "hot button issues" such as hospital beds to longer-term issues. Improving Australia's health care sector - particularly rural health - will not be achieved by more doctors or more money. And it ...

While the prevalence of diabetes has been steadily increasing, practice nurses and GPs have had limited access to useful and informative education resources, writes Annie May. Every day in Australia an estimated 275 people develop diabetes. It's the nation's sixth ...

A pilot program in Queensland has enabled practice nurses to provide lifestyle advice to their patients in addition to providing general medical care, writes Jeff Li. Practice nurses in three Queensland clinics are motivating their patients to change their lives ...

Researchers find that the team culture and organisational structure of a general practice has a great influence on nurse activities. If practice nurses are to work to their full capacity and capitalise on funding arrangements, hierarchical structures that continue to ...

Treatment with inhaled nitric oxide is an effective therapy for hypoxic respiratory failure in babies and infants. The transition to life outside the womb doesn’t always go smoothly. Complications during birth can send an infant into respiratory distress, which can ...

Transition to remote area nursing – orientating nurses new to remote and indigenous health. Given the unique context, and the inseparable work and living conditions in which remote area practitioners provide health care services, it is of utmost importance that ...