Bush Nursing

Hi all I wanted to know if any of you have had experience or if you are currently bush nursing ?

My hubbys work commitments are sending us inland, and after writing to the local hospitals in that region I have been offered a community Bush nursing position..It came with no job description....and I was just wondering

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

Take as many texts as you can. Make contacts with the nearest base hospital and if you can get any A&E experience before you go that would be best - Pm me if you need any further info.

[sandgroper]

These people may be able to give you some advice

http://www.crana.org.au/

[Tookie]

No personal expereince - neighbour went to the NT - not a positive experience for her - but many other frineds rave about it - also chack out the union in your state they may have some knowledge on the place that advertised

Good luck

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

No I havent nursed a Bush

[Tookie]

Clever - l liked that - l wonder if you would have to do barrier nursing?

[Farkinott, RN]

I worked in a remote Aboriginal community on an island for 3 yrs. You can have a great time and learn a lot in this kind of nursing. You get to use a lot of skills which you already have and many new one's that you pick up along the way.

Practicising with cultural safety can be a challenge as well as leaving your (if any) ethnocentric views towards health provision at the door!

You don't need to be a fountain of knowledge but you will have to be able to get along with a small amount of people in an isolated environment. Brushing up on the physical assessment skills wouldn't hurt though as a great deal of provisional diagnosis will be done by you, then conferring with an MO over the phone for medical treatment.

Good luck with it all. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[Farkinott, RN]

I have just remembered that a Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support course would be invaluable to you!

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

On my "to do" list is creating a sticky thread for the rural nurses forum same as I have done here. In this I want to list resources like CRANA for all nurses going to or currently working in rural and remote areas.