A rural model for delivering regional continuing nurse education by videoconference : a pilot project

Background : The South West Alliance of Rural Health (SWARH) is an alliance of 33 health care agencies scattered across South West Victoria over a total area of approximately 46 000 square kilometres. SWARH was established to develop and install information technology (IT) infrastructure, hardware and software for all acute public hospitals in the region. The Rural Intercampus Learning Environment Project (March 2003-March 2004) piloted the use of the SWARH regional area IT network to deliver a program of continuing education to Division 1 registered nurses, utilising the expertise of local health professionals. The study was funded by the Department of Human Services, Victoria.Aims & rationale/Objectives : Establish partnerships for multi-site delivery of programs.Develop existing educational programs and resources for video and intranet delivery (including IT training and change management).Collaboratively deliver educational programs utilising SWARHnet to six rural sites.Explore issues related to the use of the technology in continuing education for rural nurses and the implications for practice.Methods : Key informant interviews, paper-based audits, and focus groups informed the development of the schedule of the program. Session participants completed a 2-page evaluation questionnaire.Principal findings : Participants must own the process.Videoconferencing should be considered an adjunct to traditional education programs.Videoconferencing most suitable for short education sessions as opposed to full-day workshops.IT problems are unpredictable and frustrating for all concerned.IT awareness/training of staff is essential.Implications : The project proposes a model for coordinating and delivering regional continuing education which has been shown to improve access to education programs across multiple sites. It provides a sustainable organisational framework for the program, which could be applied in continuing professional education programs of other rural health professions, such as dentistry, medicine, allied health and pharmacy.Presentation type : Poster