Building The Allied Health Workforce In Western NSW

The Rural Allied Health Educator Pilot Pro­gram, a joint venture between NSW Health and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), is helping build a pipeline of allied health cli­nicians in regional and rural NSW by boost­ing student placements in Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD).

The program is enticing allied health stu­dents to stay and take up full time roles in rural, regional and remote locations.

A survey of students participating in the program found prior to commencing place­ment only 56.2 per cent were interested in working for NSW Health in a rural area as a graduate.

Following completion of placement, 85 per cent were more interested in working for NSW Health in a rural area as an al­lied health graduate and 95 per cent of stu­dents were satisfied with their placement experience and would recommend a rural placement to other students.

Member for Orange, Phil Donato said: “I support initiatives such as this, which form part of the longer-term solution in growing the health workforce we desperately need across regional NSW.”

The allied health educators work with universities to coordinate student place­ments, develop innovative placement mod­els to address unique rural challenges, and support other allied health clinicians to in­crease student placement opportunities in regional NSW.

Dietetics students Olivia di Coio and Caitlin Yu were on placement in Canow­indra where they were impressed by the breadth of rural practice.

While Caitlin was open to working in a rural town, Olivia had not considered it before her placement. Both students have now moved on to complete their next placement in Dubbo.

Allied Health Student, Olivia Di Coio said: “Our supervisor (Dietician) Courtney (Pearce) is a sole practitioner, so we get to see a lot more variety of patient presenta­tions than we would in Sydney. Courtney’s a champion.

“I would never have expected to work rurally before this placement, but Canow­indra is a really nice community. I would be open to living and working in a rural town in the future.”

Allied health clinical placements typically take 4-8 weeks and up to 25 weeks, and give students experience across a range of clinical areas relevant to their profession.

The program includes occupational thera­py, speech pathology, social work, dietetics and exercise physiology students.

The allied health educators work with universities to coordinate student place­ments, develop innovative placement mod­els to address unique rural challenges, and support other allied health clinicians to in­crease student placement opportunities in regional NSW.

“I welcome Olivia and Caitlin on their placement in Canowindra, and I know the local community will throw their arms around them while on placement there,” concluded Phil Donato.