Sue Lenthall - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Sue Lenthall
Journal of Nursing Management
AIM The aim of this study was to examine the perspectives of experienced Australian Remote Area N... more AIM The aim of this study was to examine the perspectives of experienced Australian Remote Area Nurses about remote nursing staff retention strategies. BACKGROUND There is low retention of Remote Area Nurses in remote Australia. Retention of Remote Area Nurses can be improved by a supportive environment including good management, professional development and supervision. METHOD This is a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with seven registered nurses with a minimum of 3 years remote area nursing experience. Participants were interviewed by phone, with the interviews audio-recorded then transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS Participants had on average 12 years experience as a Remote Area Nurse. They valued teamwork, effective and flexible management practices and the ability to maintain their own cultural and social connectedness. A flexible service model with regular short breaks, filled by returning agency nurses to enable continuity of care and cultural connections, was seen as a viable approach. CONCLUSION Flexible management practices that encourage short breaks for Remote Area Nurses may increase retention. This would need to occur within a supportive management framework. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT Management strategies that reduce isolation from personal and social networks can increase the retention of skilled Remote Area Nurses.
BACKGROUND The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote a... more BACKGROUND The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote areas of Australia is a health policy priority. Nursing or allied health professional students’ learning placements in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, most of which is considered remote, may influence rural or remote work location decisions. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to determine where allied health professionals and nurses who have had a student placement in the NT of Australia end up practicing. METHODS This research is an observational cohort study, with data collection occurring at baseline and then repeated annually over 10 years (ie, 2017-2018 to 2029). The baseline data collection includes a demographic profile of allied health and nursing students and their evaluations of their NT placements using a nationally consistent questionnaire (ie, the Student Satisfaction Survey). The Work Location Survey, which will be administered annually, will track work location an...
Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2010
To identify key workplace demands and resources for nurses working in very remote Australia and... more To identify key workplace demands and resources for nurses working in very remote Australia and measure levels of occupational stress in this population. The study used a cross-sectional design, utilising a structured questionnaire. Health centres in very remote Australia. Nurses working in very remote Australia experience significantly higher levels of psychological distress and emotional exhaustion, compared with other professional populations. Paradoxically, results also highlight higher than average levels of work engagement. Nurses working in very remote regions in Australia further report moderate levels of job satisfaction. Most significant job demands identified were emotional demands, staffing issues, workload, responsibilities and expectations, and social issues. Key job resources included supervision, opportunities for professional development, and skill development and application. In a context of high stress, high levels of work engagement and moderate levels of job satisfaction do not obviate high workforce turnover for this population. There is a need to reduce job demands and increase job resources in order to foster long-term work engagement and reduced emotional exhaustion. This might subsequently decrease remote area nursing workforce turnover.
Rural and Remote Health, 2011
Culture shock and healthcare workers in remote Indigenous communities of Australia: what do we kn... more Culture shock and healthcare workers in remote Indigenous communities of Australia: what do we know and how can we measure it?
You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study... more You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material. Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. 1
The Australian journal of rural health, 2021
OBJECTIVE Assess nursing and allied health student satisfaction with their remote Northern Territ... more OBJECTIVE Assess nursing and allied health student satisfaction with their remote Northern Territory integrated learning placement and consideration of future rural/remote work Describe the characteristics of these students Examine changes in student characteristics over time. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey of students and a review of student placement data. SETTING Northern Territory, Australia. PARTICIPANTS Former students having a work integrated learning placement of more than 1 week in the Northern Territory from 2017 to 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Agreement with the statements 'This placement has encouraged me to consider living and working in a rural or remote location after I graduate' and 'Overall, I was satisfied with my placement.' The administrative record review examined student numbers, and placement length over time. RESULTS A total of 341 students responded to the online survey. Overall satisfaction with the placement was very high (93%), and 84% a...
Primary Intention: The Australian Journal of Wound Management, 2007
A child is brought to a remote area nursing clinic by his mother. He appears acutely unwell, is c... more A child is brought to a remote area nursing clinic by his mother. He appears acutely unwell, is crying and scratching his head through matted hair – he has impetigo as a result of head lice. This case report describes the comprehensive wound management considerations to reduce the risk of rheumatic heart disease or renal disease secondary to infection with Group A beta-haemolytic streptococci (GAS). There is an extremely high incidence of impetigo secondary to scabies and head louse infestations in Northern Territory communities. Reducing the incidence of pyogenic skin disease and the more serious sequelae for children from remote Indigenous communities requires more than a course of antibiotics and educating the primary carers. It requires community wide action including promoting the importance of effective prevention and management of skin infections in infants and children and working with other sectors to address household overcrowding, a lack of health hardware, and a lack of ...
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2011
Objective: to compare workplace conditions and levels of occupational stress in two samples of Au... more Objective: to compare workplace conditions and levels of occupational stress in two samples of Australian nurses. Design: The research adopted a cross-sectional design, using a structured questionnaire. Setting Health centres in very remote Australia and three major Australian hospitals. Subjects: 349 nurses working in very remote Australia and 277 nurses working in three major hospitals in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measures were psychological distress (assessed using the General Health Questionnaire-12), emotional exhaustion (assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory), work engagement (assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale 9) and job satisfaction (assessed using a single item measure based on previous relevant research). Results: Results revealed that nurses working in major Australian hospitals reported higher levels of psychological distress and emotional exhaustion than nurses working very remotely. However,...
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing
JMIR Research Protocols, 2021
Background The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote a... more Background The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote areas of Australia is a health policy priority. Nursing or allied health professional students’ learning placements in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, most of which is considered remote, may influence rural or remote work location decisions. Objective The aim of this study is to determine where allied health professionals and nurses who have had a student placement in the NT of Australia end up practicing. Methods This research is an observational cohort study, with data collection occurring at baseline and then repeated annually over 10 years (ie, 2017-2018 to 2029). The baseline data collection includes a demographic profile of allied health and nursing students and their evaluations of their NT placements using a nationally consistent questionnaire (ie, the Student Satisfaction Survey). The Work Location Survey, which will be administered annually, will track work location an...
Australian Journal of Rural Health
Australian Journal of Rural Health
Collegian
Background: Nurses in very remote areas of Australia (RANs), work in complex and isolated setting... more Background: Nurses in very remote areas of Australia (RANs), work in complex and isolated settings for which they are often inadequately prepared, and stress levels are high. This paper, based on the 'Back from the edge' project, evaluates the development and implementation of an intervention to reduce and prevent the impact of occupational stress in the RAN workforce in the Northern territory. Methods: The methods involved a combined participatory action research/organisational development model, involving seven steps, to develop and implement system changes within the (then) Northern Territory Department of Health and Families (NTDH&F). The development, implementation and evaluation was informed via information from participants collected during workshops and interviews. Pre and post surveys were undertaken to evaluate the study. Results: Occupational stress interventions developed by the workgroups were categorised into four main groups: (1) remote context, (2) workload and scope of practice, (3) poor management, and (4) violence and safety concerns. The main interventions centred on promoting a well educated, stable workforce. There were very few measurable changes as a result of the interventions as many were not able to be implemented in the time period of the study, but implementation is continuing. Conclusion: While the outcome evaluations showed few effects, the study through consensus approaches, provides a blueprint for reducing stress among remote area nurses and evidence which should inform policy and practice with respect to service delivery in remote areas.
The Australian journal of rural health, 2017
Journal of Nursing Measurement, Aug 1, 2013
Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a measure that would adequately ... more Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a measure that would adequately and sensitively measure the occupational stress experience of nurses working in very remote health care facilities. Because no existing nursing stress tool is suitable to assess the unique stressors of remote nursing practice, the aim was to address this gap in psychometric measurement capacity and develop the Remote Area Nursing Stress Scale (RANSS). Method: A focus group (n = 19) of remote area nurses identified potential questionnaire items through open discussion and by later listing the stressors they experienced individually in their day-to-day functioning. Subsequently, the Delphi method was employed to further refine the questionnaire (n = 12 experts). The RANSS was successfully pilot tested and was afterward administered to nurses working in very remote Australia in 2008 (n = 349) and in 2010 (n = 433). Results: Principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed for both waves of survey administration, demonstrating a robust 7-factor structure consistent across samples and accounting for significant variance in dependent measures. Conclusion: The development and validation of the RANSS is a significant advancement in remote area nursing research. The RANSS should be administered on an ongoing basis to monitor occupational stress among nurses working in very remote Australia. The RANSS should also be administered internationally in countries that also accommodate remote health care facilities. This would determine whether the RANSS is a psychometrically valid stress measure beyond the context of very remote Australia.
International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 2015
Registered nurses working in remote areas of Australia are often called remote area nurses (RANs)... more Registered nurses working in remote areas of Australia are often called remote area nurses (RANs). RANs have traditionally used models of client consultation designed for acute presentations and episodes of care. However, presentations to health care facilities in remote Australia are more likely to be chronic, complex, multi-system and multifactorial in origin and subsequent management. This paper describes a consultation model developed from a combination of expert opinion, literature and trial and feedback from RANs. The model is comprehensive, systematic and puts the person at the centre of care. It aims to mitigate risk for the client; the RAN and the health service while at the same time building trust and health literacy between the client and the RAN to encourage the client to continue with the partnership in care.
Journal of Nursing Management
AIM The aim of this study was to examine the perspectives of experienced Australian Remote Area N... more AIM The aim of this study was to examine the perspectives of experienced Australian Remote Area Nurses about remote nursing staff retention strategies. BACKGROUND There is low retention of Remote Area Nurses in remote Australia. Retention of Remote Area Nurses can be improved by a supportive environment including good management, professional development and supervision. METHOD This is a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with seven registered nurses with a minimum of 3 years remote area nursing experience. Participants were interviewed by phone, with the interviews audio-recorded then transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS Participants had on average 12 years experience as a Remote Area Nurse. They valued teamwork, effective and flexible management practices and the ability to maintain their own cultural and social connectedness. A flexible service model with regular short breaks, filled by returning agency nurses to enable continuity of care and cultural connections, was seen as a viable approach. CONCLUSION Flexible management practices that encourage short breaks for Remote Area Nurses may increase retention. This would need to occur within a supportive management framework. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT Management strategies that reduce isolation from personal and social networks can increase the retention of skilled Remote Area Nurses.
BACKGROUND The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote a... more BACKGROUND The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote areas of Australia is a health policy priority. Nursing or allied health professional students’ learning placements in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, most of which is considered remote, may influence rural or remote work location decisions. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to determine where allied health professionals and nurses who have had a student placement in the NT of Australia end up practicing. METHODS This research is an observational cohort study, with data collection occurring at baseline and then repeated annually over 10 years (ie, 2017-2018 to 2029). The baseline data collection includes a demographic profile of allied health and nursing students and their evaluations of their NT placements using a nationally consistent questionnaire (ie, the Student Satisfaction Survey). The Work Location Survey, which will be administered annually, will track work location an...
Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2010
To identify key workplace demands and resources for nurses working in very remote Australia and... more To identify key workplace demands and resources for nurses working in very remote Australia and measure levels of occupational stress in this population. The study used a cross-sectional design, utilising a structured questionnaire. Health centres in very remote Australia. Nurses working in very remote Australia experience significantly higher levels of psychological distress and emotional exhaustion, compared with other professional populations. Paradoxically, results also highlight higher than average levels of work engagement. Nurses working in very remote regions in Australia further report moderate levels of job satisfaction. Most significant job demands identified were emotional demands, staffing issues, workload, responsibilities and expectations, and social issues. Key job resources included supervision, opportunities for professional development, and skill development and application. In a context of high stress, high levels of work engagement and moderate levels of job satisfaction do not obviate high workforce turnover for this population. There is a need to reduce job demands and increase job resources in order to foster long-term work engagement and reduced emotional exhaustion. This might subsequently decrease remote area nursing workforce turnover.
Rural and Remote Health, 2011
Culture shock and healthcare workers in remote Indigenous communities of Australia: what do we kn... more Culture shock and healthcare workers in remote Indigenous communities of Australia: what do we know and how can we measure it?
You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study... more You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material. Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. 1
The Australian journal of rural health, 2021
OBJECTIVE Assess nursing and allied health student satisfaction with their remote Northern Territ... more OBJECTIVE Assess nursing and allied health student satisfaction with their remote Northern Territory integrated learning placement and consideration of future rural/remote work Describe the characteristics of these students Examine changes in student characteristics over time. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey of students and a review of student placement data. SETTING Northern Territory, Australia. PARTICIPANTS Former students having a work integrated learning placement of more than 1 week in the Northern Territory from 2017 to 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Agreement with the statements 'This placement has encouraged me to consider living and working in a rural or remote location after I graduate' and 'Overall, I was satisfied with my placement.' The administrative record review examined student numbers, and placement length over time. RESULTS A total of 341 students responded to the online survey. Overall satisfaction with the placement was very high (93%), and 84% a...
Primary Intention: The Australian Journal of Wound Management, 2007
A child is brought to a remote area nursing clinic by his mother. He appears acutely unwell, is c... more A child is brought to a remote area nursing clinic by his mother. He appears acutely unwell, is crying and scratching his head through matted hair – he has impetigo as a result of head lice. This case report describes the comprehensive wound management considerations to reduce the risk of rheumatic heart disease or renal disease secondary to infection with Group A beta-haemolytic streptococci (GAS). There is an extremely high incidence of impetigo secondary to scabies and head louse infestations in Northern Territory communities. Reducing the incidence of pyogenic skin disease and the more serious sequelae for children from remote Indigenous communities requires more than a course of antibiotics and educating the primary carers. It requires community wide action including promoting the importance of effective prevention and management of skin infections in infants and children and working with other sectors to address household overcrowding, a lack of health hardware, and a lack of ...
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2011
Objective: to compare workplace conditions and levels of occupational stress in two samples of Au... more Objective: to compare workplace conditions and levels of occupational stress in two samples of Australian nurses. Design: The research adopted a cross-sectional design, using a structured questionnaire. Setting Health centres in very remote Australia and three major Australian hospitals. Subjects: 349 nurses working in very remote Australia and 277 nurses working in three major hospitals in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measures were psychological distress (assessed using the General Health Questionnaire-12), emotional exhaustion (assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory), work engagement (assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale 9) and job satisfaction (assessed using a single item measure based on previous relevant research). Results: Results revealed that nurses working in major Australian hospitals reported higher levels of psychological distress and emotional exhaustion than nurses working very remotely. However,...
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing
JMIR Research Protocols, 2021
Background The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote a... more Background The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote areas of Australia is a health policy priority. Nursing or allied health professional students’ learning placements in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, most of which is considered remote, may influence rural or remote work location decisions. Objective The aim of this study is to determine where allied health professionals and nurses who have had a student placement in the NT of Australia end up practicing. Methods This research is an observational cohort study, with data collection occurring at baseline and then repeated annually over 10 years (ie, 2017-2018 to 2029). The baseline data collection includes a demographic profile of allied health and nursing students and their evaluations of their NT placements using a nationally consistent questionnaire (ie, the Student Satisfaction Survey). The Work Location Survey, which will be administered annually, will track work location an...
Australian Journal of Rural Health
Australian Journal of Rural Health
Collegian
Background: Nurses in very remote areas of Australia (RANs), work in complex and isolated setting... more Background: Nurses in very remote areas of Australia (RANs), work in complex and isolated settings for which they are often inadequately prepared, and stress levels are high. This paper, based on the 'Back from the edge' project, evaluates the development and implementation of an intervention to reduce and prevent the impact of occupational stress in the RAN workforce in the Northern territory. Methods: The methods involved a combined participatory action research/organisational development model, involving seven steps, to develop and implement system changes within the (then) Northern Territory Department of Health and Families (NTDH&F). The development, implementation and evaluation was informed via information from participants collected during workshops and interviews. Pre and post surveys were undertaken to evaluate the study. Results: Occupational stress interventions developed by the workgroups were categorised into four main groups: (1) remote context, (2) workload and scope of practice, (3) poor management, and (4) violence and safety concerns. The main interventions centred on promoting a well educated, stable workforce. There were very few measurable changes as a result of the interventions as many were not able to be implemented in the time period of the study, but implementation is continuing. Conclusion: While the outcome evaluations showed few effects, the study through consensus approaches, provides a blueprint for reducing stress among remote area nurses and evidence which should inform policy and practice with respect to service delivery in remote areas.
The Australian journal of rural health, 2017
Journal of Nursing Measurement, Aug 1, 2013
Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a measure that would adequately ... more Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a measure that would adequately and sensitively measure the occupational stress experience of nurses working in very remote health care facilities. Because no existing nursing stress tool is suitable to assess the unique stressors of remote nursing practice, the aim was to address this gap in psychometric measurement capacity and develop the Remote Area Nursing Stress Scale (RANSS). Method: A focus group (n = 19) of remote area nurses identified potential questionnaire items through open discussion and by later listing the stressors they experienced individually in their day-to-day functioning. Subsequently, the Delphi method was employed to further refine the questionnaire (n = 12 experts). The RANSS was successfully pilot tested and was afterward administered to nurses working in very remote Australia in 2008 (n = 349) and in 2010 (n = 433). Results: Principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed for both waves of survey administration, demonstrating a robust 7-factor structure consistent across samples and accounting for significant variance in dependent measures. Conclusion: The development and validation of the RANSS is a significant advancement in remote area nursing research. The RANSS should be administered on an ongoing basis to monitor occupational stress among nurses working in very remote Australia. The RANSS should also be administered internationally in countries that also accommodate remote health care facilities. This would determine whether the RANSS is a psychometrically valid stress measure beyond the context of very remote Australia.
International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 2015
Registered nurses working in remote areas of Australia are often called remote area nurses (RANs)... more Registered nurses working in remote areas of Australia are often called remote area nurses (RANs). RANs have traditionally used models of client consultation designed for acute presentations and episodes of care. However, presentations to health care facilities in remote Australia are more likely to be chronic, complex, multi-system and multifactorial in origin and subsequent management. This paper describes a consultation model developed from a combination of expert opinion, literature and trial and feedback from RANs. The model is comprehensive, systematic and puts the person at the centre of care. It aims to mitigate risk for the client; the RAN and the health service while at the same time building trust and health literacy between the client and the RAN to encourage the client to continue with the partnership in care.