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Turrbal and Jagera Country
Level 4, 348 Edward Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
Occupational therapy students, Hannah Bunn and Deneal Williamson, have just completed a 10-week placement in Far North Queensland (FNQ) with the help of GROW Rural and Northern Queensland Primary Health Network's (NQPHN) Going Rural North bursary. The third-year students from the University of the Sunshine Coast completed their placement with the Atherton-based practice The Whole Child, which is a colourful, purpose-built therapy centre which radiates an atmosphere of inclusion and wellbeing.
Both students are part of GROW Rural North Queensland (NQ), a rural workforce solution program designed by Health Workforce Queensland to attract health professionals to primary health care settings in the FNQ region. The program focuses on exposing a cohort of multidisciplinary health students to rural areas, to learn from local health professionals, be welcomed by community and enjoy Queensland rural hospitality. As summarised by Deneal, “Without the support of GROW Rural, I would not have made the decision to participate in a placement so far from home. I was supported regarding organisation of my placement location, assistance to build a relationship prior to placement commencement, organisation of accommodation, and financial aid for travel.”
Pictured left: Hannah Bunn and Deneal Williamson soaking up the sun in Far North Queensland
Picture right: Local attractions like the strawberry farm were highlights for Hannah
Being able to provide GROW Rural students with financial assistance to return to FNQ to complete placements is an integral step toward students returning to the region as early career graduates. Our partner organisation NQPHN funds the Going Rural North bursary that offers financial assistance with travel and accommodation for eligible students completing a placement in FNQ. Hannah stated, “Without the [Going Rural North] bursary, I would not have been able to afford to complete a rural placement”.
The students also found their time at the practice to be highly beneficial and remarked on the high level of support from their supervisors at The Whole Child. Deneal said, “Professionally, I cannot speak highly enough of the professionals that I got to spend ten weeks learning from and working beside. The knowledge, skills and kindness made every day feel challenging and exciting.” The students also mentioned that their time in FNQ helped them to understand the challenges for health professionals in rural communities, with limited services, access to healthcare and large waitlists being common themes.
Pictured: The Whole Child team with GROW Rural OT students
For The Whole Child, these challenges are no surprise, given the limited number of private occupational therapy clinics on the Tablelands. As part of the 2023 GROW Rural NQ visit to Atherton and Mareeba, Founder and Director, Crystel Poggioli made her practice available to the GROW Rural occupational therapy students to gain first-hand experience of taking a holistic approach to child development. As a result, Ms Poggioli was open to continuing to support Hannah and Deneal by taking them on placement this year, stating, “I’m really grateful they were part of the GROW Rural program as we already had a connection, and they already knew a little bit about the area. I think it’s crucial to think long term about our workforce, and the opportunity to be here for a longer time helps them know what it would be like to live in the region.”
Ms Poggioli also acknowledged the role GROW Rural played in organising the placement, stating, “One of the best things for us about having the students was the involvement of GROW Rural. They helped with organisation of communication with university and the students. This meant we had more flexibility around dates than what we may have had. We also knew we had the backing of the GROW Rural team if we needed any help or came across any roadblocks.”
When asked about the highlights of their placement, both students mentioned that the community spirit and picturesque scenery were standouts. Hannah described the locals as “warm and welcoming” and Deneal remarked, “having access to such stunning locations was my favourite part of being up here.”
Both students will continue to be supported by Health Workforce Queensland with the assistance of their locally based Health Workforce Connector, Ash Bolton. This unique role centres on building the local health workforce by working with the GROW Rural students, universities, FNQ healthcare practices and their communities. Additionally, Ash works closely with local high schools to incentivise a ‘grow your own’ approach by facilitating health activities and career discussions with the students.
Given the success of this and other GROW Rural placements, with many more to follow next year plus a new GROW Rural cohort commencing in July 2025, the region will continue to benefit from actively participating in growing its future workforce. Best put by Deneal, “I highly recommend that any student who needs to complete a placement consider going rural. You never know who you are going to meet and what opportunities lay before you.”
For more information on GROW Rural please head to our website via the button below.
