In February 2020, Alfred Health launched an education program targeted for nurses working in low-resource emergency services across Victoria (Urgent Care Centres); the Rural Urgent Care Nursing (RUCN) program. Initial consultations revealed several unique barriers faced by rural nurses in accessing education: travel distances, lack of protected education time, reliance on external courses designed for highly-resourced Emergency Departments. Our program provides tailored education for rural nurses, aiming to improve quality of care delivery for these communities. In response to ongoing workforce challenges, a re-consultation period in 2022 led to the development of two new education models: Bedside Teaching (BST) and the Clinical Support and Education (CSE) program.

BST comprises both planned and spontaneous yet deliberate educational encounters for learners. RUCN educators deliver on-site teaching across Victoria whilst preserving nurses’ rostered shifts within their health services. BST enables learners to interact with experienced educators for personalised theory-to-practice education that is tailored to low-resource settings. Although BST has historically been restricted to undergraduate nursing students, this model builds confidence, competence, and capability within the qualified rural nursing workforce whilst providing equitable access to education. To date, a BST model using external expertise visiting rural health services has no precedent.

The CSE program strengthens the rural nursing workforce while building internal capacity for education delivery. In Australia, where nurse educators do not need formal education training, the CSE program provides a blend of online and in-person education and personalised mentorship to empower nurses to deliver education within their health service. This approach embodies a ‘grow your own’ paradigm by cultivating local expertise and nurturing a sustainable model of professional development within the rural healthcare landscape. The CSE program is the first of its kind available for Victorian rural nurses.