Single Nurse Posts

For the purposes of this statement a ‘Single Nurse Post’ is where a Remote Area Nurse is employed:
as the sole provider of nursing care within a primary health care team
as the primary health care provider within a primary health care team

Position:
The Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia Inc does not support the employment of Remote Area Nurses to work in single nurse posts.

Rational:
Remote Area Nurses can be subjected to a number of preventable stressors if placed in a single nurse post. The stressors include professional isolation, fatigue and exploitation. The impact of these stressors on the Remote Area Nurses is likely to reduce the quality of health care provision to clients, increase stress, reduce satisfaction for the nurse and add to a high turnover of nursing staff.



Endorsed
Bruce McKay
President

Date
May 2002