Stories

I’m sure we can all recollect a time when we’ve had one of ‘those’ days. Perhaps we’ve been swallowing our frustrations, holding back tears, or seething inside from something that’s happened. Suppressing our emotions and feelings (pushing them down rather than...

Personality refers to the unique, relatively stable patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that each of us has and that distinguishes us from one another. Our personalities are deeply rooted in our genetics and neurobiology and are also shaped by our...

Conflict occurs when parties are pursuing mutually incompatible goals. Not only is conflict inevitable, but it’s also normal and healthy when navigated appropriately. When you’re working in a small team within a rural and remote health environment, experiencing...

When working in healthcare for any period of time, you can probably recognise moments when a part of you is saying, “Just get through this shift, you will be ok,” while another part is saying, “I’m exhausted.” Then another group of internal parts gather, making lists...

For years, burnout has been framed as something an individual is responsible for protecting themselves from. Management and organisations often tell staff to manage their time better, suggest or provide resilience training, or encourage extra individual self-care....

Given the unique pressures of rural and remote work, such as isolation, limited backup, high acuity, and dual roles such as health worker and community member, it’s no wonder we sometimes find ourselves tired. However, not all exhaustion is the same, and...

Imposter syndrome is the persistent belief that not only is your success undeserved, but that exposure is imminent, and you will be 'found out'. This is a common experience in rural and remote practice, particularly as you may be the only clinician for miles around,...

There is often a moment that goes unnoticed. It is not the start of your work shift, when you are getting your head around all the things that need to be done, and it’s not quite at the end of your work shift, where you have logged off, shut down, written the last...

It’s the end of your shift, you’re walking or driving back home to your accommodation, and the events of the day are sitting heavily. Perhaps a patient interaction didn’t go the way you had hoped. A family got upset with you. You made a call under pressure with the...

I’m sure we’ve all been in this position before: it’s the end of a long day, you’ve had a couple of crises you had to deal with on top of your normal workload, and you’re tired. Perhaps it was the obtrusive family. Maybe it was the system that, once again, let someone...

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up feeling flat, disconnected and dreading the day ahead? This can be a common feeling, yet it is rarely spoken about. Feeling demotivated isn’t a character flaw or a sign that you’ve chosen the wrong career, but your...