Practical Considerations

Accommodation

Consider your accommodation. What are the options for accommodation? Is it provided? Can you stay with relatives? Are there billeting options through a church or community group? Talk to your Clinical Educator about the options that are available. For example, Mt Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health (MICRRH) supports students undertaking placement in Mt Isa by providing fully subsidised accommodation.

Financial

A barrier to going on a rural and remote placement may be the financial cost.  It is important to think about how you are going to cover the cost of accommodation, living costs and fund travel.  One option might be to apply for a scholarship. SARRAH offers a NAHSSS: Nursing and Allied Health Clinical Placement Scholarship.  The scholarship includes a stipend of $500 per week for up to six weeks for food and living expenses.  The scholarship will also contribute towards one return trip to the clinical placement facility and accommodation costs.

Getting around

If you are not taking your own car to the placement, it may be more difficult to get around as there may be limited public transport. Before you go on placement find out about:

• The distance between your accommodation and where you will be working
• How far it is to shops and other facilities
• What public transport is available
• If other transport options are available (e.g. bike hire or maybe you could borrow a bike)

Becoming part of the community

Even though you may be in the community for a short time, there is usually lots of opportunity to join in community activities.The local tourist information centre has information about local pools, sporting facilities and groups, libraries, and suggestions for what to do around the area. 

Looking after yourself

A rural placement can provide tremendous learning opportunities and a great personal experience but it can also be overwhelming.  It is important to take steps to look after yourself.

Staying in touch 

Going out on clinical placement can be challenging, even more so if you are away from your usual support network.  It is important to stay in touch with family and friends.  Find out from your supervisor about the availability, access and cost of internet access. Mobile phone coverage can vary in country communities.  Check with your mobile provider if there is reception where you are going.

Plan for isolation

Consider what you are going to do in the evenings. Everyone needs some down time so remember to bring whatever you need to relax (e.g. a good book, ipod, DVDs, running shoes). 

Personal safety

Regardless of where your placement is, it is important to consider your personal safety. The National Rural Health Student Network Rural Placements Guide has some great tips on keeping safe.

If you are finding things overwhelming, talk to your supervisor or contact the Clinical Coordinator at your University. Identify other people that you can talk to if things are not going as you expected. 

Learning Module: SARRAH has a Learning Module titled “Self Care Learning Module”. It is recommended that you complete this module. It takes less than 20 minutes to complete.

Another helpful resource is the  National Rural Health Student Network: When the cowpat hits the windmill. This booklet was developed by NRHSN and beyondblue for medical, nursing and allied health students. It is a resource written by students for students discussing some of the mental health challenges faced by people working in rural and remote health services.