S.TRUEMAN PhD THESIS 2016

xv

Contents

Statement of Access ............................................................................................................. ii Statement on Sources ......................................................................................................... iii Electronic Copy .................................................................................................................. iv Copyright Declaration......................................................................................................... v Statement of the Contribution of Others.......................................................................... vi Declaration on Ethics ........................................................................................................ vii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... viii Abstract ............................................................................................................................. xiii Contents.............................................................................................................................. xv List of Tables...................................................................................................................... xx List of Figures ................................................................................................................. xxiv List of Appendices .......................................................................................................... xxvi Definitions and Abbreviations...................................................................................... xxvii Chapter 1: Introduction...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Personal Experience that Informs the Study ............................................................... 1 1.3 Aim of the Study ......................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Purpose of the Study.................................................................................................... 4 1.5 Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 4 1.6 The Field of Study ....................................................................................................... 4 1.6.1 What is ‘remote’? ................................................................................................. 4 1.6.2 Profile of Australia’s remote population .............................................................. 8 1.6.3 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations living in remote and very remote Australia................................................................................................. 10 1.6.4 What is meant by remote health? ....................................................................... 14 1.6.5 What is mental health and illness? 1.6.6 Current profile of the remote nursing workforce ....................................................... 15 1.6.7 Generalist remote nurses caring for mental health clients.................................. 20 1.6.8 Current profile of remote mental health nursing workforce............................... 21 1.6.9 Current profile of remote mental health non-nursing workforce ....................... 22 1.6.9 31 1.7 Overview of the Study Design .................................................................................. 31 1.8 Rationale.................................................................................................................... 32 1.9 Significance of the Study for the Nursing Profession ............................................... 32 1.10 Organisation of the Thesis....................................................................................... 34 1.11 Summary.................................................................................................................. 37