An evaluation of nursing student placement in the Beaconsfield Multi-Purpose Service

One of the pressing concerns in rural health nursing education is effective student preparation for rural area work. This study will describe the results of a survey taken of nursing students who underwent their community health practicum at the Beaconsfield Multi Purpose Service (MPS) in Beaconsfield, Tasmania. Four of the five students placed responded to a 14-point questionnaire, which was designed to evaluate how useful the experience was for them, and how much they had learned about primary health care in the rural community setting. The results were highly satisfactory, and indicate that MPS placement may be a valuable option for other institutions which favour rural student placements.