Journal article
Primary attractors for allied health professionals in Australian rural and regional communities
Journal of the Australian-Traditional Medicine Society, Vol.25(3), pp.156-159
Spring 2019
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Abstract
Introduction: In Australia and globally there exists a shortage of allied health professionals (AHPs) to service populations outside metropolitan areas. The aim of this research was to investigate attractors for osteopaths to rural and regional Australia.
Methods: A qualitative design was appropriate to capture rich contextual data from osteopaths who had recently graduated and commenced practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 osteopaths. Two researchers encoded the data independently and subsequently compared and discussed their analysis to form meta-themes.
Results: Relationships with People and Place emerged as significant attractors for recently graduated osteopaths, representing a novel way of thinking about recruitment. Relationships with People was further sub-divided into personal and family relationships, mentor and client relationships, and community relationships. Relationships with Place was sub-divided into relationships with the natural environment, the clinical environment and the transport environment.
Conclusion: Recent policy development has focused on the economics of recruitment and ignored the underlying relationships between people and between people and place. Successful recruitment policy may be more likely to emerge from a focus on establishing fulfilling relationships between the graduate and their mentor, clients and community, and the establishment of a relationship between the graduate and the place.
Details
- Title
- Primary attractors for allied health professionals in Australian rural and regional communities
- Creators
- Laurence Axtens - Southern Cross UniversityTracey Spruyt - Southern Cross UniversitySandra Grace - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Journal of the Australian-Traditional Medicine Society, Vol.25(3), pp.156-159
- Publisher
- Australian Traditional-Medicine Society Ltd
- Identifiers
- 991012978045802368
- Copyright
- © Copyright Australian Traditional-Medicine Society Ltd. Spring 2019
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Health; Allied Health and Midwifery
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article