Mindfulness Mindfulness

Activity 6.1
Mindfulness 6.1:
Mental Body Scan

Before we begin to explore the context of public health in Australia, cast your
minds back to your week one content when we learned about the
eudaimonistic model of health care. This model emphasises holistic well-
being and fulfilment, with mindfulness serving as a pivotal practice to
enhance self-awareness and promote psychological and emotional balance.

This may be something that resonates strongly with you, and in which you are
well versed. Or it may be something that isn’t up your alley and doesn’t
appeal to you much at all.

Regardless, in week one we looked at a 5-minute mindfulness exercise which

may be helpful you personally, perhaps now as assessments and exams are
applying pressure. Or you may find yourself in a situation with an anxious
friend, or patient, and not sure what to do. Be familiar with these exercises
and try stepping them through one. You’d be amazed the difference it can
make to some people!

Watch this short video on mindfulness activity number 2 for this module. Try DBT Mindfulness #2: Mental Body Scan [Video] from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, YouTube
and give the exercise a reasonable attempt, even if you are a mindfulness (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGBPuU1G_bw)

cynic. Try something new, live on the outrageous edge (by attempting a
calming exercise…)
 This chapter focuses on the context of Australian
primary health care nursing, focusing on key areas
such as women's health, aged care, community
health, and general practice (GP) nursing. As
frontline healthcare professionals, nurses play a
Introduction to pivotal role in providing comprehensive and
the context of holistic care within the primary healthcare setting.
primary health
care in
Australia

Before we begin, write down a few of your ideas or assumptions of

what you think nursing might involve in the following areas:
• General Practice Community Nursing
• Women’s Health
• Aged Care
• Child and Family Nursing
• Community Care
We will come back and reflective on these ideas at the end of this
chapter.
 General Practice (GP)
Nursing

Globally, there has been a notable transition in healthcare, shifting the focus from
acute to primary health care to better address community needs, a phenomenon
extensively documented (McInnes et al., 2015). This change responds to factors
such as an aging population and the imperative to manage chronic conditions
more effectively within communities. One consequence of this shift is a
substantial increase in the nursing workforce in primary health care, particularly
in general practice, over the past 15 years. The number of nurses employed in this
setting has surged from approximately 2,300 in 2003 to surpass 12,000 in 2015
(Australian Divisions of General Practice Ltd, 2003; Heywood & Laurence,
2018).
While there are some government owned and operated general practice
clinics, GP clinics are predominantly private enterprises owned and
operated by an individual or group of health professionals, or by a private
General practice nurses work in smaller health care clinics compared to corporation throughout Australia (Halcomb & Ashley, 2019). Due to this
their acute care counterparts. extensive number of potential employers, in a range of different
geographical and healthcare contexts, despite the development of the
standards of practice, the role and scope of the GP nurse is not clearly
defined. The nurse's responsibilities in this context are influenced by
various environmental factors, such as the size of the practice, patient
demographics, practice organization, and individual employment
Click on each of the headings to learn more about
the scope of the general practice nurse
01
10. Clinical Care 1. Immunisation
10 02

9. Health Promotion General Practice 2. Coordination of Care

09 Nurses Scope of 03
Practice

8. Screening and Testing GP nurses are recognized for 3. Health Counselling

playing a unique role with the
potential for further expansion.
Click on each of the icons to
learn more about GP nurses'
08 roles and responsibilities. 04
7. Patient Education 4. Emergency Care

6. Wound Care 07 05
5. Administrative Roles

06 (Halcomb & Ashley, 2019;

McKenna et al., 2015).
Have you considered nursing in general
practice before?
What challenges might general practice nurses
face caring for a diverse range of patients?
What challenges might arise from general
practice clinics being predominantly privately
owned within Australia?

Write down your ideas on your computer or a

piece of paper. The next slides will explore
what research has identified as some of these
issues.
 Challenges for general
practice nurses
The emerging scope and improved patient outcomes under the care of a
general practice nurse is the topic of ongoing research, particularly in light
of the increasing patient numbers, increasing patient care requirements and
reducing number of general practice physicians (McInnes et al., 2015).
As this is a nursing context which is dependent upon a range of
organisations and, generally, occurs in smaller teams than acute care nurses,
there are a range of unique challenges that nurses encounter in performing
their roles.

On the next page, click on each

card deck each exploring
common themes identified as
challenges by general practice
nurses.
• Were these similar to what
you expected?
• How might these be
improved or prevented?
 ol e s a n d Delegation and
R es Respect, Trust
s i b i l i t i
Respon Synergy
and
Communication

Shared
Commitment
Hierarchy, and
Education, Communication
Liability

Next section:
Women’s Health
Women’s Health is a public health concern which has been prioritised by the
World Health Organization and the Australian Government (Boydell et al., Reproductive Health
2020). Women's health is a multifaceted domain influenced by various
interconnected factors, including biological, social, and cultural elements. Biological
Examining these factors throughout the lifespan provides valuable insights Factors Chronic Health Conditions
into the unique health challenges and experiences faced by women in
Australia. Hormonal Changes

Socioeconomic Status
Healthcare Accessibility
Social
Factors Cultural Diversity
Gender Based Violence

Indigenous Health
Cultural
Factors Cultural Stigma and Marginalisation

Click on each of the headings to read more about Cultural celebrations and rituals
these experiences:
Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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Aged Care

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 Aged Care

Click next to watch a short video on working in

aged care
Aged Care
Child and
Family In Australia, Child and Family Health (CFH) nurses, also
referred to as maternal and child health nurses and child

Nursing
health nurses, play a crucial role in providing
comprehensive support to families with children. They work
extensively with parents and infants under six months and
continue to offer services as children grow, though
frequency decreases with age. The delivery model of CFH
services and the schedule of contacts vary throughout the
country, encompassing home visits, individual consultations
at health centres (both scheduled and drop-in), telephone
support lines, and group education sessions. While most
universal services are conducted from community-based
centres, some may also be offered in non-health settings like
preschools, shopping areas, and community venues
(Schmied et al., 2014).
 CFH nurses offer information and emotional
support to parents and caregivers, often through
various mediums including telephone consultations
and community-based health promotion programs.
Types of activities undertaken include running
parenting groups and offering therapeutic support
programs, breast feeding education and support,
lactation assistance and consultations, health
promotion and health education (Schmied et al.,
2014). CFH nurses arrange to visit families within
2-4 weeks following discharge from maternity
services. CFH perform well-child health
assessments such as surveillance of child growth
and development, and identification of early
childhood milestones (Johnston et al., 2020). During
these visits, alongside physical evaluations, many
CFH services administer standardized psychosocial
assessments, primarily focusing on the parent,
typically the mother. These assessments encompass
screening for issues such as depression, substance
abuse, and domestic violence, aiming to connect
families with relevant support services (Schmied et
al., 2014).
Watch the following 2 short videos to get a short
overview of the role of child and family nursing in
Australia.
Community
Care

Community health nurses serve as a

crucial link between the acute healthcare
sector and community services. They
adopt a social model of health to
advocate for and represent the
community in need of care. In a
frequently convoluted system, these
nurses assist patients in understanding
and simplifying the healthcare systems,
referral processes, and access to service
(Australian Primary Health Care Nurses
Association, 2024).
Where are the community
nurses?
The location of community
nurses’ principal place of work
is highly variable. Some
community nurses work in
subacute in-patient facilities,
which aim to assist in the
transition of patients from an
acute care service back into the
community or aim to avoid
admission to an acute care
service.
These services are often low
acuity and focus on improving
functional skills and
independence. Frequently
patients will have leave from the
service for hours or days, but
return to the service for
workshops, appointments or
overnight (Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare, 2013).
Other community care nurses
work from a central community
health facility or clinic
(Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare, 2013).
In rural and remote regions there
may be a model known as the
hub and spokes, where there is a
central ‘head clinic’, but smaller
clinics that are dispersed
throughout the region and
community nurses will travel
between the hub and the smaller
clinics, sharing resources
between them (Mackenzie et al.,
2020).
Community nurses frequently visit patients in their homes, or
via telehealth services, to provide support, clinical care and
assistance, education and training or patient assessment and
monitoring. This could be for patients which have chronic
illnesses such as diabetes, or cardiovascular diseases.
Community nurses also provide initial physical, psychological
and social assessments of patients who have been identified at
risk, or who need regular reviews to identify deterioration early
(Blay et al., 2022; Wilkes et al., 2014).

Socially, community health nurses frequently organise and run

education workshops as well as general community activities
such as sporting activities, community gardens and advocacy
rallies which aim to address key health concerns, or raise
awareness in their communities. They may assist with
relationship and parenting support, including for family
conflicts or parent and child attachment concerns. Importantly,
they consider not just the individual patient but the care needs
of the family, carers and wider community which are looking
after unwell people (Connect Health and Community, N.D.)
You have reached the end of this chapter. We have had a
brief look at some of the different contexts of public
health and community nursing in Australia.
On the discussion board below (on blackboard), reflect
on one of these contexts.
Was this type of work what you anticipated in your
reflection prior to starting the module?
What was different?
What influenced your previous beliefs about this
specialty?
Do you think any of these specialty areas interest you,
and that perhaps you may consider this area of nursing
once you have graduated?
Are there any of these areas which you don’t think are
the right fit for you? Why or why not?

Read some of your classmate’s responses, and feel free

to comment or ask questions on these posts also.