The Importance of Student Placements in Community Health Services
Increasingly health care delivery is taking place in community based settings. With shorter hospital stays and early intervention programmes, services once provided within a hospital setting are more often undertaken in community settings. This shift away from acute based to community care has implications for workforce planning. In particular, there is the need to ensure a skilled and competent workforce exists that is trained effectively within community based settings and models of care to meet health needs of the community.
Clinical placements within community health settings are a high priority for academic institutions, government and health services due to:
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Changing models of service delivery, with the length of stay in hospitals decreasing and more health services being delivered in community settings
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An increase in the demand for a skilled and competent healthcare workforce in community based settings, which can effectively meet the needs and expectations of the community
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The growth in the number of university places for health professionals has increased the requirement for clinical training placements
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The increase in university places has not necessarily resulted in adequate planning for clinical placements or an increase in supervisor numbers
What does Community Health offer students?
Community health offers students training and experience in the delivery of services to clients including those with complex needs and chronic disease conditions. It will also provide opportunities for students as well as academic staff to gain an understanding of the contribution of community health in health promotion and service coordination.
