Discourses within the roles of Remote Area Nurses in Northern Territory (Australia) government-run health clinics

Abstract

The Northern Territory (NT) government operates remote clinics which are primarily staffed by Aboriginal Health Practitioners and Remote Area Nurses (RANs). RAN practice has been described as particularly complex due to high health needs, workforce shortages and high levels of turnover in remote Aboriginal communities. While individual incentives are offered, there has been little examination of the role and why the work takes such a toll on RANs. This study aims to identify dominant discourses underpinning RAN practice and how these discourses reflect tensions and reinforce power relations that impact on the RAN role. Discourses were identified from a Foucauldian-inspired discourse analysis..