TABLE 1.
University Departments of Rural Health (UDRH) supported student service‐learning models across northern Australia in 2019 and the impacts of COVID‐19 in 2020
| Service location | Host organisation | 2019 Student professions (no. of students; no. of total weeks of service‐learning placement) | Supervision model | 2020 Student placements planned (at January 2020) | COVID‐19 short‐term response (end of March 2020) | COVID‐19 medium to longer term response (travel restrictions ease) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NARN Theme: Children developing well | ||||||
| Alice Springs NT a | Special school | Physiotherapy (8, 64) | UDRH employed contractor |
Physiotherapy (6:30) across school Terms 1‐3 |
Term 1 students completed final week remotely; Term 2 placements cancelled due to COVID‐19 | Term 3 potential being monitored |
| Broome WA b | Primary schools, Preschools |
Speech pathology (12; 72) Occupational therapy (58; 393) Physiotherapy (50; 250) |
UDRH employed clinical educators |
Speech pathology (24; 288) Occupational therapy (67; 535) Physiotherapy (47; 235) |
Term 1 students completed final week remotely; Term 2 placements cancelled due to COVID‐19 | Term 3 potential being monitored. Negotiating potential placements via tele‐supervision |
| Burketown, Mount Isa and Normanton QLD c | Kindergarten, primary schools |
Occupational Therapy (10; 76) Speech Pathology (5; 29) |
UDRH employed clinical educators and school employed occupational therapist. |
Occupational Therapy (8; 61). Speech Pathology (9; 51). Nutrition and Dietetics (8; 16) |
Term 1 students completed final week/s remotely; Term 2 placements cancelled due to COVID‐19 | Remote completion of quality improvement project placement offered (Occupational Therapy). Term 3 and 4 offers made and potential actively monitored |
| Katherine NT a | Primary schools |
Speech Pathology (16; 112) Occupational Therapy (8; 58) |
Local private practitioners contracted through the university. |
Speech pathology (4; 24) in school Term 1; (6; 36) school Terms 2‐4 Occupational therapy (4; 28) in Term 1; (6:43) Terms 2‐4 |
Term 2 and 3 cancelled due to COVID‐19 restrictions | Term 4 potential being monitored |
| NARN Theme: Young people growing up well and adults staying strong | ||||||
| Broome, WA b | High school |
Occupational Therapy (10; 60) Social work (2; 32) |
UDRH employed clinical educators. |
Occupational therapy (10; 60) Social work (2; 32) |
Students completed placements remotely; new placements cancelled | Term 3 potential being monitored. Negotiating potential placements via tele‐supervision |
| Burketown, Mount Isa, QLD c | Hospital and Health Service, local community organisations | Exercise Physiology (20; 120) | UDRH employed clinical educators |
Exercise Physiology (19; 114). Nutrition and Dietetics (12; 48) |
Some placements maintained but modified (telehealth, groups rather than individual programs); students from outside biosecurity area cancelled due to COVID‐19 | Remote QI project placements commenced for Nutrition and Dietetics in April 2020. Students from local region able to proceed |
| NARN Theme: Older people ageing well in place | ||||||
| Broome, WA b | Residential aged care facility |
Speech Pathology (2; 24) Physiotherapy (10; 50) Occupational therapy (20; 140) |
UDRH employed clinical educators |
Occupational Therapy (20; 140) Speech Pathology (12: 72) Physiotherapy (10: 50) |
All cancelled due to COVID‐19 | Potential for re‐opening being monitored |
| Mount Isa, QLD c | Community rehab, Hospital and Health Service, residential care facility |
Occupational Therapy (8; 62) Physiotherapy (17; 85) Speech Pathology (9; 54) |
UDRH employed clinical educators | Occupational Therapy (10; 81), Physiotherapy (16; 80), Speech Pathology (5; 38) | Final 3 wk of placement completed remotely. Placements increased for students from North Queensland with program changes including transition to telehealth, groups shifted to individual programs | Placements increased using telehealth for program delivery. Additional QI project placement offered for Occupational Therapy for remote completion |
| Nhulunbuy NT a |
Regional Council Community Services |
Speech Pathology (2; 16) Occupational Therapy (2; 16) |
University academic re‐deployed as educator; clinical education contractor; plus tele‐supervision | Funding and supervision issues prevented 2020 service‐learning placements. Four oral health placements (16 wk) were cancelled (July‐August) | NA | Potential for re‐opening being monitored |
| Weipa and Napranum, QLD c | Hospital and Health Service and Aged and Disability Services |
Occupational Therapy (3; 21) Physiotherapy (2; 10 wk) Dietetics (2; 10) |
Combined local allied health employed through the public health service and a university employed clinical educator | Occupational Therapy (12; 67), Physiotherapy (6; 30) | Final 2 wk completed remotely. All student placements cancelled as directed by the local hospital and health service | Quality improvement project placements, completed remotely for Occupational Therapy; Potential for Terms 3 and 4 being monitored |
Flinders Northern Territory, Flinders University (NT).
Majarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health Western Australia, University of Notre Dame (WA).
Centre for Rural and Remote Health, James Cook University Queensland (QLD).