CRANAplus is expanding beyond emergency care into primary health care education for rural and remote clinicians – delivering the first modular, CPD-ready primary health assessment suite designed specifically for rural and remote practice. Building on the foundations of CRANAplus’ former Clinical Assessment Suite, the resource has been reimagined and updated as the new Remote Primary Assessment Suite. Remote Clinical Educator, Anna Heaton, shares what to expect.
Primary health care is at the core of healthcare delivery in remote communities. Expanding on its established emergency care programs, CRANAplus has launched the new Remote Primary Assessment Suite, providing education that reflects the breadth and diversity of contemporary remote nursing practice.
This suite shifts our offering from primarily emergency response education to a whole-of-practice model, while still maintaining a strong emergency lens where it matters. It responds to a need identified by many, as there is currently no standalone CPD course providing comprehensive primary health assessment for rural and remote clinicians outside university programs. This is an important step in supporting workforce capability.
What makes it different
We’ve designed this suite for both ends of the workforce. For new-to-remote nurses, it’s a structured, comprehensive onboarding pathway, and for experienced RANs, it’s an opportunity to complete an efficient, case- based refresh and targeted CPD.
The suite reflects the realities of remote practice, where clinicians manage everything from routine primary health care presentations to acute deterioration. Each module follows a consistent learning pathway, beginning with a self-assessment of prior knowledge before exploring comprehensive primary health assessment through the RAN Model of Consultation. Recognising that emergencies can occur in any setting, modules also incorporate Primary and Secondary Survey approaches to support escalation and retrieval when required.
Common presentations and population-specific considerations are then explored, helping clinicians develop systematic assessment skills, clinical reasoning and confidence across the breadth of rural and remote practice.
Modules are interactive and engaging with self-directed, case-based learning, knowledge checks, and practical application. With this modular, flexible CPD (two to five hours per module), learners can engage as deeply as needed – whether completing full modules or targeting specific learning gaps.
Each module works independently or as part of a progressive learning pathway toward advanced practice, so modules can be approached as a stackable pathway, or a standalone product.
What’s coming
The first modules will be available in September, with more on the way. They provide a practical foundation for primary health assessment in remote settings, designed for immediate use in practice.
This first suite will include:
- Introduction: Remote Primary Assessment
- Gastrointestinal Assessment
- Cardiovascular Assessment
- Respiratory Assessment
Additional modules covering areas from ear, nose and throat assessment to dermatological assessment are already in development. Stay tuned as we launch these next stages over the coming months.
By expanding education beyond emergency response and into everyday primary health care, the Remote Primary Assessment Suite aims to better reflect the realities of rural and remote practice and support clinicians to provide safe, confident care across the full scope of their role.
