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This study reports the findings from a survey of 201 recent teacher education graduates from a university in the north-western United States of America regarding the factors that influenced their decision to take a teaching position in a rural or urban community following graduation. Results indicate that an in-depth rural practicum experience, being close to family, and the size of school influenced new graduates' decisions. Other factors such as school culture and administrative support were also found to be important to new graduates' decision making. The article will also share insights that can help to inform state and local educational agencies about strategies in attracting new graduates and in retaining new teachers in rural schools.

An increasing emphasis on university internationalisation, global citizenship education and outbound mobility experiences (OMEs) has seen international study travel become a key staple of tertiary education. University students undertake learning experience for academic credit overseas for a period shorter than a semester under the guidance of an academic staff member. With student participation increasing, greater consideration needs to be given to the ability of OMEs to deliver high quality learning outcomes to students, particularly within an intensive shortterm format. A majority of existing literature relays the experiences of academic staff in designing and facilitating OMEs (Brokaw, 1996; Gordon & Smith, 1992; Koernig 2007; Schuster, 1993), but an emerging literature also considers student experiences (Downey, Gothard & Gray, 2012; Evans, Finch, Toncar & Reid, 2008; Weaver & Tucker, 2010). While these evaluations are insightful, the observations may not be relevant to all of the wide variety of OMEs now being offered. This paper promotes a reconstructed Jafari (1987) tourism model as a framework to understand the various components of the student and staff travel experience while participating in an OME, especially short-term overseas study trips.

Universities around the world seek to internationalise students to prepare them for an increasingly globalised world. Outbound mobility experiences (OMEs) are recognised as one of the most effective ways to foster independent thinking, cultural sensitivity, and a sense of "worldmindedness". This article takes a case study from an Australian university and explores efforts to increase student participation rates in OMEs. Through a mixed-method study of three student cohorts (n = 223), important data was gathered relating to how OMEs are perceived by undergraduate and post-graduate students. The results are filtered through thematic discourse analysis and suggest that the university needs to do more to build awareness, explain the professional and employability benefits, and create a travel culture where students are encouraged to grow their international skills and communication competencies. This research has important implications for universities seeking to increase international student mobility and prioritise a global outlook.

Introduction: The importance of primary health care (PHC) to Aboriginal Australians is widely acknowledged, as is the underservicing of the Aboriginal Australian population. Aboriginal People continue to face significant obstacles when accessing and using health care services. Objective: This study identifies environmental factors (beyond personal and service delivery) that functioned as barriers and enablers to Aboriginal Australians' experiences accessing PHC during crises and recommends approaches during future events. Design: This research utilised a case study approach. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The study was set in Lakes Entrance, a regional Victorian locality with a sizable Aboriginal community, which was affected by bushfires during 2019/2020 and COVID‐19 restrictions during 2020‐2021. Participants were 18 Aboriginal People over the age of 18 living in the locality during either bushfires or COVID‐19. Findings: The barriers identified included the impact on PHC access of priorities other than health, including housing; financial constraints; difficulties with transport; medical bureaucracy and the physical environment of the health care setting, including appointment‐making processes; interactions with medical reception staff; and waiting room environments. Enablers identified included the supportive role of the local Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO) and their staff, which was highlighted in participant responses. Discussion: The preference of many Aboriginal people to access PHC via their local ACCHO, rather than mainstream health care services, appears even more salient during crises than in normal times. This research identified that ACCHOs are ideally placed to promote and protect the health of Aboriginal communities during crises. Conclusion: Results may help direct interventions to improve PHC access and experiences for regional Aboriginal communities both during and outside periods of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shares an innovative methodology to 'co-create' a curriculum with eleven international community development organisations from seven countries to prepare undergraduate students for international work-integrated learning activities. The co-creation process was complex, messy, and always evolving. Here we reflect on and document the process, identifying three key methodological principles that might guide the co-creation process for others. These principles embrace the unpredictable, emotional, and personal reality of bringing together diverse ideas and perspectives, as well as opening up possibilities for more creative ways of communicating and listening to what is seen, heard, and felt.

Background and objectives: Medical cannabis use is increasing in Australia and other jurisdictions, yet little is known about the effects of medical cannabis on cognitive function. Findings from studies of non-medical ('recreational') cannabis may not be applicable to patients using prescribed medical cannabis to manage a health condition. Methods: In this semi-naturalistic, open-label trial, patients with various health conditions attended a single laboratory session in which they self-administered a standard dose of prescribed medical cannabis as per instructions on the pharmacy label. We assessed cognitive performance using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and Druid application (app) prior to and following (CANTAB: + 3 h; Druid: + 3 and 5.5 h) medical cannabis self-administration. We also assessed subjective drug effects prior to and following (1, 2 and 4 h) medical cannabis self-administration using a range of 0–10 cm visual analogue scales ('stoned', 'sedated', 'relaxed', 'comfortable', 'anxious' and 'confident'). Data were analyzed using linear fixed-effect models. Results: Participants (N = 40; 22 females) were prescribed a range of products including orally administered oils (n = 23) and flower for vaporization (n = 17). Participants had a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 41.38 (12.66) years and had been using medical cannabis for a mean (SD) of 10.18 (8.73) months. Chronic non-cancer pain was the most common indication for medical cannabis use (n = 20), followed by sleep disorder (n = 18) and anxiety (n = 11). The mean (SD) delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/cannabidiol (CBD) dose administered by participants was 9.61 (8.52) mg/9.15 (10.11) mg among those using an oil, and 37.00 (24.53) mg/0.38 (1.58) mg among those who vaporized flower, respectively. Participants' performance improved over time on the CANTAB Multitasking Test and Rapid Visual Information Processing test (both p-values <0.001). All other changes in cognitive performance measures over time were non-significant (p > 0.05). Vaporization of flower was associated with significantly stronger subjective feelings of 'stoned' and 'sedated' relative to oils (both p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings suggest that prescribed medical cannabis may have minimal acute impact on cognitive function among patients with chronic health conditions, although larger and controlled trials are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia the impacts of climate change are resulting in considerable water scarcity, a scenario affecting the green and blue spaces that provide well-recognized individual health benefits. However, far less is known about the social health benefits of these spaces, particularly for those residing in rural Australian river communities. In this geographic context, water issues are compounded by a dominant culture that privileges the commodification of water for agricultural purposes over other interests. Using an environmental justice perspective consistent with a green social work approach, this proof-of-concept study contributes a critical element to water debates by examining the cultural, recreational, and environmental meanings of water for the rural river community of Mildura. Results from an online mixed-methods questionnaire (N = 33) show that people privileged cultural meanings of water as fundamental to life, were concerned for river health, and felt marginalized in water debates. Findings suggest that understanding communities' hydrosocial relationships is key to environmentally and socially just water management and to individual, community, and environmental health. Social work can contribute to such environmental issues by working collaboratively to enable communities to exercise their voices and to advocate to decision makers to include consideration of environmental, social, and cultural impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidents involving mis‐selection and administration of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) leading to patient harm resulted in the initiation of activity in Victorian hospitals to review the management of this high‐risk group of medicines. Local risk mitigation strategies, such as in‐house labelling and restricting access, were considered partially effective, but it was recognised that a national approach was required. In 2015, hospital pharmacists — together with anaesthetist colleagues and peak patient safety organisations — made a submission to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) describing safety risks with NMBAs, with recommendations for improved NMBA labelling. This report describes the five‐year process which eventually led to the TGA mandating manufacturers to place alert labelling on NMBA products. As a result of this effort, a Victorian Therapeutics Advisory Group (VicTAG) grant enabled the development of a 'NMBA Safer Practice Advisory Tool for Australian Hospitals', providing a standard guide to monitor the safe use of NMBAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including Healthcare Disparities in Rural and Remote Communities, Workforce Challenges in Rural Australia, COVID-19 Impact, Rural Pediatric Clinics and other topics.

The aim of the current study was to examine the role of fluid intelligence, personality traits, and emotional intelligence (EI) in predicting female Year 9 students' grade point average (GPA) and to determine whether any differences in scholastic performance were related to differences in EI or Personality. Two-hundred and forty-three female secondary students who were enrolled in Year 9 (age: "M" = 14.63 years, "SD" = 0.49) completed the Adolescent Swinburne University EI Test, Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, and the Mini International Personality Item Pool (Mini-IPIP) and a GPA was calculated from the core subjects. The results revealed that higher GPAs were related to higher levels of Emotional Management and Control (EMC), Conscientiousness, and lower levels of Extraversion. The stepwise regression analysis revealed that variation in GPA was accounted for by IQ (21.8%), Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and EMC. It was concluded that the consistent predictive efficacy of EI skills in relation to scholastic outcomes, although modest in comparison to IQ, should be considered important, especially in the context of students achieving grades appropriate to their intellect across their schooling experience.

The purpose of this study was to explore how connections between families, communities and educators can be facilitated in teacher education courses through the use of playgroups. Barriers to building relationships, as well as the perceived benefits of these relationships to families and pre-service teachers, were also explored. Participants were involved in weekly university-based community playgroups. Focus group interviews were conducted and the constant comparative method was used to analyse interview transcripts. Themes of "Constraints" and "Enablers" emerged from pre-service teachers' transcripts, indicating that they were initially uncomfortable with community and family involvement but eventually made connections as to why this was important. The theme of "positive relationship building" emerged from parents' transcripts, indicating that they saw building relationships with families and communities as an important role of early childhood educators. Implications for the importance of authentic learning situations for fostering these relationships in teacher education courses are discussed.

A case study of an Australian gay teacher in a rural community explores issues related to being in "the closet," which is seen as a patriarchal construction designed to maintain itself. Despite legal protection to equal rights, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered teachers experience significant discrimination, fueled largely by public perceptions that gays are pedophiles. (Contains 25 references.) (TD)

Capitalising on the food and fibre opportunities of a burgeoning global population requires a high performing and resilient agribusiness sector. Necessarily, this includes a business focus to identify opportunities and implement strategies to ensure the delivery of food and fibre products demanded by the global marketplace while managing impacts of a dynamic operating environment. Current agriculture policy in Australia recognises the varying capacity of rural businesses to thrive in this environment and provides both indirect and direct welfare support. One example is the provision of a publicly funded financial counselling service to rural business in financial stress. This research has used interpretive description to better understand the drivers of the financial hardship experienced by businesses accessing the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS). Guided interviews were conducted with 32 Rural financial Counsellors (RFC) who had at least five years experience in the role. Thematic analysis of the interviews highlighted the social, environmental and financial complexities impacting the successful operations of a rural business. The key finding of this research is that despite the myriad influences impacting businesses in this cohort, business failure reflected a lack of business skills, which could be aggregated under the umbrella terminology of business acumen. These skills are more nuanced than simply poor financial literacy, extending to the manner in which business operators understand the fundamentals of their business environment and are able to intervene to maximise the opportunities and mitigate the threats. Consequently, decision-makers focussed on production preferentially to the business of capitalising on that production. The research identified opportunities for research relating to the challenge of enhancing the business acumen of rural business decision-makers, as well as illuminating the business and social context of gender in rural business sustainability. • Rural businesses were examined through the lens of the Rural Financial Counsellor. • Complex financial, social and environmental factors influence business performance and expose inherent weaknesses. • Failure results from a lack of a business-focus and poor business acumen and skills. • The place of gender in rural business success is an important emerging question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Certain migrant groups are at an increased risk of psychotic disorders compared to the native-born population; however, research to date has mainly been conducted in Europe. Less is known about whether migrants to other countries, with different histories and patterns of migration, such as Australia, are at an increased risk for developing a psychotic disorder. We tested this for first-generation migrants in Melbourne, Victoria. Methods: This study included all young people aged 15–24 years, residing in a geographically-defined catchment area of north western Melbourne who presented with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) to the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2016. Data pertaining to the at-risk population were obtained from the Australian 2011 Census and incidence rate ratios were calculated and adjusted for age, sex and social deprivation. Results: In total, 1220 young people presented with an FEP during the 6-year study period, of whom 24.5% were first-generation migrants. We found an increased risk for developing psychotic disorder in migrants from the following regions: Central and West Africa (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] = 3.53, 95% CI 1.58–7.92), Southern and Eastern Africa (aIRR = 3.06, 95% CI 1.99–4.70) and North Africa (aIRR = 5.03, 95% CI 3.26–7.76). Migrants from maritime South East Asia (aIRR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.23–0.65), China (aIRR = 0.25, 95% CI 0.13–0.48) and Southern Asia (aIRR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.26–0.76) had a decreased risk for developing a psychotic disorder. Conclusion: This clear health inequality needs to be addressed by sufficient funding and accessible mental health services for more vulnerable groups. Further research is needed to determine why migrants have an increased risk for developing psychotic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted governance. A strong intergovernmental response is critical for stemming the worst damage during the outset of a disaster. Collaborative planning with networks of constituent governments, medical experts, and emergency managers are needed to provide a holistic response to the highly technical and complex issues brought on by the novel coronavirus. This commentary highlights the differences in response by the United States and Australia, provides a comparison of intergovernmental relationships, and sheds light on how these federations vertical and horizontal collaborative efforts were stymied by politics or facilitated by existing intergovernmental forums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the challenges of climate change have resulted in significant water policy reform. Australia's Murray Darling Basin (MDB) Plan is a complex transboundary water management system that aims to balance the need for environmental protection with the needs of social and economic users of water. In July 2017, media reports argued that some MDB irrigators were misappropriating water destined for the environment and downstream users. This article uses Foucauldian discourse analysis to explore this flashpoint in the long-standing tensions between all stakeholders including the Basin jurisdictions. Diverse understandings of who is entitled to water that are shaped by the historical, political and social context are central to this conflict. Findings suggest that both neoliberal governmentality and the agrarian discourse are threatened by an emerging governmentality that embraces non-farming interests. The broader experience of water scarcity in a rapidly changing climate suggests comparable issues will become evident across the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dexmedetomidine is used in the intensive care unit (ICU) as a short‐term sedative. The data included in the manufacturer's product information is controversial, and there is little consensus to guide initial dosing and titration. This observational study surveyed the practice of dexmedetomidine use in Australian ICUs. An expression of interest (EOI) for a multisite observational study was sent to members of the ICU email group of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists Australia (SHPA). Participating members collected treatment‐related data for patients meeting inclusion criteria between January 2013 and July 2014. Six of 14 sites that responded positively to the EOI returned complete datasets, and 232 patients met the inclusion criteria. The main reported indications for dexmedetomidine use across the six sites were to manage agitation (33.2%), to aid extubation (32.8%) and to sedate (34.0%). The median duration of therapy was 42 h (range 1–672 h). Only nine patients (3.9%) received loading doses. The median maximum dose used for maintenance therapy in patients ranged from 1.2 to 4.0 microgram/kg per h. There was a significant disparity of practice across sites, as evidenced by differences in reported indication, off‐label use, rates of loading doses and doses used for maintenance therapy. Consensus prescribing guidelines are required to guide more consistent and evidence‐based prescribing of dexmedetomidine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family farming remains the most common form of agricultural enterprise across the world and in Australia, 90% of farms are owned and operated by farm families However, restructuring in the agricultural sector and climate change have resulted in considerable diversity amongst family operated farming businesses that now extends from smaller, marginal enterprises to larger, intergenerational, more entrepreneurial and commercially viable businesses. Australian family farms remain embedded within a pervasive agrarian mythology characterised by tight constructions of gender and family relations that often hide more complex realities. Attention to Australian agricultural policy suggests a commitment to gender mainstreaming is required to address the perpetuation of gender inequalities through institutional means. However, the ways those advising farmers construct gender remains under-researched. This article utilised the feminisation in agriculture thesis and a small story narrative approach to examine how 32 Rural Financial Counsellors from across Australia construct their gender and the gender of service users who experience considerable financial hardship. Most small stories were of integration, competition and progressive feminisation. Findings suggest that rural financial counsellor training could focus more attention on gender relations in contemporary farming families. Future studies could examine how those advising more successful farmers construct gender. • RFC skills include the 'soft' skills more commonly characterised as feminine • 'Good' farmer ideals and femininity in Australian family farming may be dynamic • Narratives of entrepreneurship were absent, and reconstitutive feminisation rarely expressed • Talk of separation positioned women's work as critical to family farm business sustainability • Stories suggest a need to modernize RFC training to attend to gendered family relationships [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]