Improving access to primary care for older adults in rural aged care homes

Who: University of Sunshine coast, Southern cross care Queensland, MetroNorth Health, and Southern Cross University

What: This implementation project aimed to understand the context of several rural sites of a large provider or aged care and tailor implementation of a nurse practitioner (NP) role across the organisation. Working in collaboration with GPs, an NP can provide increased access to primary care for residents in RACFs and provide support and opportunities for upskilling of nursing staff and personal care workers (PCWs). The role also provides a much-needed career pathway for registered nurses (RNs) in the aged care sector to improve recruitment and retention. NPs have been successfully implemented in metropolitan and major regional centres. But translating this role into rural and remote Australia needs to be cognisant of the unique challenges of this setting.