Winnows

At the 6th National Undergraduate Rural Health Conference (NURHC) a group of undergraduate nursing students representing five different universities formed the inaugural National Rural Health Students' Network Nursing Sub-Committee. After much debate this Committee was called Winnows which means to move forward with a gentle breeze and is the term used to describe how Australian wildflowers spread and prosper.  Membership to Winnows, at present, involves joining a Yahoo discussion group which networks via email to address the aims of Winnows. How to Join details are available at the bottom of this page.

Winnows was created in order to address significant issues that were and still are impacting undergraduate nursing students nationally from accessing positive rural and remote area nursing experiences. These issues include:

• Significantly low levels of rural and remote health content in undergraduate nursing curricula
• Significantly low levels of Aboriginal Health in undergraduate nursing curricula
• Teachings that fail to communicate a positive view of rural and remote nursing or which actively discourages students from considering this specialty of nursing as a viable career option
• The unavailability of adequately mentored and financially supported rural and remote placements for undergraduate nursing students.

Winnows aims to:

• increase awareness of issues pertaining to undergraduate nursing preparation for rural and remote nursing practice
• contribute to debate and decision regarding undergraduate nursing education and preparation for rural and remote practice
• increase nursing student membership to rural health clubs
• nurture nursing students who have an interest in rural and remote nursing, and
• raise the profile of rural and remote nursing as a career option.

Some Winnows Acheivements to date include:

• Provide feedback to NRHA on the Advanced rural and remote nursing practice position paper, supportingt he recommendations
• Representation on the Commonwealth Undergraduate Rural and Remote Nursing Scholarship committee
• Proposal expressing the need for a nursing scholarship that runs similar to the John Flynn Scholarship for Medicine (currently in progress)
• Nurse Practioner position paper.

How To Join!

For further information please contact the NRHSN office on 03 9860 4700 or Nursing Portfolio.