21 ] September 13-14, 2014 The Weekend Australian
Online learning a plus for remote area nurse
Bec Gooley
AS a remote area nurse working 400 kms east of Katherine, the only way Bec Gooley was going to achieve a masters degree as a nurse practitioner was via online learning.
“Doing the course online was fantastic. I loved the instant access I had to resources and also the flexibility to study at times that fitted my schedule.” Gooley says she chose GradSchool at the University of Newcastle after a positive experience as an undergraduate. Although she was a long way from the physical campus, she found the course socially engaging.
“Even though I was very isolated geographically, I felt connected to other students through the university’s online systems and through group projects where I collaborated with others all over the country.”
“These days social media makes online learning easy but I think you still have to be motivated. My course required a certain amount of online engagement – it wasn’t OK to just sit back and let everyone else do the talking.”
“No matter how far the technology comes, I think you will always need to be proactive and apply some energy in order to get the most out of an online degree.” Gooley drew on the wisdom and experience of colleagues during her course.
“The masters really helped me in my role as a remote nurse. It can be professionally isolating in the bush but I was able to apply it in the clinical environment and discuss what I learned with my colleagues.”
Since completing the qualification, Gooley has moved back to town and is now a primary healthcare advisor at Katherine West Health Board. She’s also completing her PhD. She says learning online reflects the reality of modern clinical environments.
“Every week all the clinicians in my region come together via web conferencing. It’s just part of professional practice to use technology to connect.”
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