Healthcare boost arriving in Tallangatta
Through a partnership between the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University, nursing students will soon arrive in Tallangatta to undergo an innovative service-learning placement providing wellbeing services to residents.
Tallangatta is a Victorian rural township located 338 km north of Melbourne.
This initiative is part of the Mental Health and Wellbeing for Remote and Aboriginal Victorians project, which was launched in May by the University of Melbourne, the first placement of its kind designed to train the future health workforce and promote uptake of positions in rural areas.
“We are keen to see university students using their skills to support rural communities” says Professor Lisa Bourke, Director of the University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) at the University of Melbourne.
“Throughout their training, students learn a range of skills and these types of placements are great ways for students to implement their learnings.”
“We also think this is really useful for the health and wellbeing of small towns.”
Running from early November to mid-December with the Carers Connection Group and the Men’s Shed, this enriching placement provides a learning opportunity for students while also benefiting the community with health promotion that would otherwise not be provided.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to have support from the University of Melbourne and the students coming directly to our rural town is both timely and incredibly supportive,” says Lucy-Anne, community member from the Carers Connection Group in Tallangatta.
“Only recently have we started a carer connection group in Tallangatta to explore the needs of the carers in our community, so this is perfect timing for us.”
Selected through a process of identifying a gap in community care, Tallangatta will be the first rural town to pilot this new placement program. The placement design meets curriculum criteria for students while providing a clear benefit to the community.
“La Trobe Rural Health school is very excited to be partnering with the Tallangatta community and the University of Melbourne to develop a ‘hands on’ placement for students.”
“We thank the University of Melbourne for its work in developing this project and the Tallangatta community for welcoming the La Trobe Rural Health School students,” says Jenny Bassett, Lecturer at the La Trobe Rural Health School.
Upon completion of this pilot placement, additional placements will be developed and launched for other rural communities in northeast Victoria, taking on any learnings and community feedback.