Rural mature-aged nursing and allied health (RMANAH) student supports research program

Project Details

The Rural Mature-aged Nursing and Allied Health (RMANAH) Student Supports program of research was developed by Dr Claire Quilliam (The University of Melbourne), Dr Nicole Crawford (Curtin University), and Professor Carol McKinstry (La Trobe University). This program of research meshes interdisciplinary knowledge from the higher education student equity and rural health fields to identify novel and sustainable rural health workforce strategies.

The research program focuses on study supports for mature-aged students—those who are 21 years or older on enrolment. Mature-aged people could be considered an untapped cohort in the quest to build the rural health workforce. Mature-aged people typically remain in their rural communities due to work, family commitments, and community ties. If we support rural mature-aged people to participate in university health studies, they may successfully complete their studies, join the rural health workforce and meet local healthcare demand in their community. This program of research adopts Robert’s rural standpoint as a lens to explore novel ways to support rural higher education student participation and completion, and rural health workforce development.

Stages of research

This program involves three stages of research.

Stage 1. Scoping review.

The scoping review of the literature was conducted by Dr Claire Quilliam, Dr Nicole Crawford, Prof Carol McKinstry, A/Prof Anna Wong Shee (Deakin University), Dr Pamela Harvey (Monash University), Dr Keith Sutton (Monash University), and Dr Kristen Glenister (The University of Melbourne). The scoping review found that very few supports were available specifically to rural mature-aged nursing and allied health students, and highlighted the need to address support gaps from a rural lens.

Stage 2. Gathering data and evidence: Four current interrelated studies.

  1. Current and potential supports for rural, mature-aged nursing and allied health students on rural campuses: a mixed methods study. This study is led by Dr Claire Quilliam and with Dr Nicole Crawford, Prof Carol McKinstry, Dr Sara Brito (Eastern Kentucky University), Alison Buccheri (The University of Melbourne) and Dr Kristen Glenister. Phase 1 (multi-case study of current and potential supports for RMANAH students on three rural university campuses in Victoria) is complete. Phase 2 uses an online survey capturing Phase 1 constructs to explore RMANAH student experiences of study supports on regional and rural Victorian university campuses. Please click here to complete the survey.
  2. Access to health courses for rural Australian students​. This study is led by Prof Carol McKinstry and with Dr Claire Quilliam and Dr Nicole Crawford. The study aims to map Australian allied health, nursing, dental and medical university courses availability in MMM 2-7 locations and online. This study was presented at the 16th National Health Conference (2022), in Brisbane, Australia. See the presentation abstract here.
  3. RMANAH student demographic study. This study is led by Dr Nicole Crawford and Dr Paul Koshy (National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education) with Dr Claire Quilliam and Prof Carol McKinstry. The study aims to better understand the nature of the nursing and allied health student population by formulating a profile of the target population, drawing on Australian Government Department of Education enrolment and completion rate data.
  4. Determining the mature-aged workforce capacity of a rural Australian community using system dynamics modelling. This study is led by Dr Claire Quilliam and with A/Prof Jason Thompson (The University of Melbourne), Dr Nicole Crawford, Prof Carol McKinstry, Aaron Chambers (Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative), A/Prof Ravi Bhat (Goulburn Valley Health) and Leigh Stanbrook (Primary Care Connect). In this study we use group modelling processes to construct a causal loop diagram and system dynamic modelling to explore the potential of mature-aged people in a MM3 community to contribute to the rural health workforce.

Stage 3. Pilot support initiatives.

Drawing on findings from Stages 1 and 2, this stage will pilot support initiatives in 2024-2025.

Researchers

Dr Claire Quilliam, Research Fellow, Rural Nursing and Allied Health, Department of Rural Health, The University of Melbourne.

Dr Nicole Crawford, Curtin University.

Professor Carol McKinstry, Dean, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University.

Funding

The mixed methods study of current and potential study supports for RMANAH students on rural campuses was funded by The University of Melbourne and La Trobe University.

Research Outcomes

Crawford, N., Quilliam, C., & McKinstry, C. (2022, April 6). Supporting rural, mature-aged nursing & allied health students: An interdisciplinary collaboration to build the rural health workforce. National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education. https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/rural-mature-aged-nursing-allied-health-students/

Quilliam, C., Crawford, N., McKinstry, C., Wong Shee, A., Harvey, P., Glenister, K., & Sutton, K. (2021) Building a rural workforce through identifying supports for rural, mature-aged nursing and allied health students: A systematic scoping review. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 29(5), 634-655. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12788

Research Publications

Conference presentations

2023

  • McKinstry, C., Quilliam, C., Crawford, N., Brito, S. & Buccheri, A., (June 2023). Supporting rural mature-aged students. Presented at the Occupational Therapy Australia 30th National Conference and Exhibition, Cairns (Poster).

2022

  • Quilliam, C. Crawford, N., McKinstry, C., Wong Shee, A., Harvey, P., Glenister, K., & Sutton, K. (Aug 2022). Rural, mature-aged nursing and allied health student supports: an untapped rural health workforce cohort. Presented at the University of Sydney PED talk - Rural and Regional Health. Online (Oral, invited presentation).
  • Quilliam, C., Crawford, N., McKinstry, C., Wong Shee, A., Harvey, P., Glenister, K., & Sutton, K. (Aug 2022). Rural, mature-aged nursing and allied health student supports: a novel workforce approach​. Presented at the 16th National Rural Health Conference, Brisbane (Oral).
  • McKinstry, C., Quilliam, C., Crawford, N., Wong Shee, A., Harvey, P., Glenister, K., & Sutton, K. (2022). Supporting rural, mature-aged nursing and allied health students: a systematic scoping review. Presented at La Trobe Rural Health School Research Conference (Poster).
  • McKinstry, C., Crawford, N., & Quilliam, C.  (Aug 2022). Access to health courses for rural Australian students​. Presented at the 16th National Rural Health Conference, Brisbane (Oral).

2021

  • McKinstry, C., Crawford, N., & Quilliam, C. (Oct 2021). Access to health courses for rural Australian students. Presented at the 8th Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium. Online (oral).
  • McKinstry, C., Quilliam, C., Crawford, N., Wong Shee, A., Harvey, P., Glenister, K., Sutton, K. (Aug 2021). Supporting rural mature-aged nursing and allied health students: A systematic scoping review. National Allied Health Conference. Online (Oral).
  • Crawford, N., Quilliam, C. & McKinstry, C. (July 2021). Supporting mature-aged, rural nursing and allied health students: an interdisciplinary collaboration to build the rural health workforce. Presented at the STARS Conference, online (Oral). https://unistars.org/papers/STARS2021/07A.pdf

Research Group

Workforce Quality and Innovation


Key Contact

For further information about this research, please contact the research group leader.

Department / Centre

Rural Health

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