Developing an Inter–Disciplinary Training Approach for Rural Disability Workforce

SHORT TALK ABSTRACTS
DAY 2 | SESSION 5 – MIXED THEMES

Rural and remote health workforce is difficult to recruit and retain. Access to appropriate and on–site professional development is a significant issue for the rural and remote disability workforce. It is found that positive student experiences during rural and remote work integrated learning activities contribute to willingness to work in rural areas and can increase workforce recruitment and retention. This paper aims to present the features of an effective inter–disciplinary training approach for rural disability workforce. A qualitative study in which 10 participants including clinical educators, speech pathologists, mental health workers, occupational therapists and nurse students from healthcare organisations in Riverland, South Australia participated in two focus groups to provide their insight into the focus of inter–professional disability workforce development and how to implement an inter–disciplinary training approach for disability workforce in rural settings. Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis of data including NDIS–focused inter–professional education, structured inter–disciplinary training and scope of empathetic care practice. An inter–professional educational practice and supervision was identified as the key focus for capacity building of the rural disability workforce. Designing a training program using inter–agency collaboration and a strong network for staff was found important for effective educational outcomes. Prior knowledge about the needs of patients and empathetic relationships were identified as having an influence on the quality of practice. The study findings conclude with a suggestion to design and implement structured inter–disciplinary training that matches the expectations of the rural disability workforce.