For children in rural and remote Queensland, respiratory illness can escalate quickly. Families often face long and stressful transfers to tertiary hospitals, hundreds of kilometres from home and away from their support networks. For the nurses who care for these children, the experience is both challenging and deeply rewarding.
Clinical Nurse Peta Taylor, from Atherton Hospital in CHHHS (over 90km from Cairns), says working in rural nursing requires resilience and adaptability. “We often care for patients with limited access to specialist services, which can be stressful for families and staff alike,” she explains. Limited resources, managing complex care in a low-acuity setting, and the need for rapid upskilling are part of daily practice.
“Having worked extensively in rural and remote areas, I’ve seen firsthand the social and emotional impact that retrievals to tertiary centres have on families. My hope is that nasal high-flow therapy becomes standard in all rural and remote hospitals across Australia. Keeping care close to home is not just clinically beneficial – it’s culturally and socially vital,” Peta adds.
For Ruby Elliott, a Clinical Nurse from Cloncurry Hospital in NWHHS (over 120km from Mount Isa), the challenges were immediately clear. “Unwell children often can’t articulate their needs, and the experience can be overwhelming for both them and their families,” she reflects. Without paediatricians on-site, the team works tirelessly to stabilise children while coordinating retrievals. “It highlights both the intensity of remote care and the importance of preparedness, training, and teamwork.”
Building skills, reducing transfers
The Paediatric Acute Respiratory Intervention Study on Country (PARIS on Country), led by Associate Professor Donna Franklin and co-funded by EMF and the MRFF, is helping nurses like Peta and Ruby meet these challenges. The study equips rural and remote teams with training, guidance, and confidence to safely deliver life-saving interventions such as nasal high-flow therapy.
Since the study began, the nurses have seen meaningful change. “One of the most noticeable benefits has been a reduction in the number of transfers to tertiary centres,” Peta notes. For Ruby, the difference is also evident in how families experience care. “
Families now have options. Previously, critically ill children were almost automatically transferred out to tertiary hospitals. With PARIS, we now have the capabilities to keep children locally for longer, or even throughout their entire episode of care.”
The benefits extend to staff development as well. Ruby says the project has opened up opportunities for upskilling, with new equipment allowing training to be applied in real-world situations. “I’ve become more confident in initiating higher-level care and have better guidance on when to escalate. Importantly, the collaborative learning environment has fostered knowledge sharing across sites.”
Personal and professional growth
For both nurses, involvement in the project has been transformative. Ruby, who grew up in a rural community, says it has reaffirmed her passion for equity in healthcare. “This study has shown that, with the right resources and educational support, rural teams are more than capable of delivering high-level care,” she says. It has also sparked her interest in mentoring. “I’ve gained more confidence and have taken on more responsibility in peer education and equipment orientation for new and existing staff.”
Peta describes a similar sense of purpose. “It’s fulfilling to see children receive high-quality care on Country, without the disruption of being transferred away from their families and communities,” she shares.
Looking to the future“Professionally, it’s empowering to be part of a project that is building capability in rural health and driving meaningful change.”
Ruby hopes the momentum created by the project continues. “It’s vital that rural and remote teams are supported to maintain and grow the capabilities that PARIS on Country has provided. I’d love to see continued investment in simulation-based training, regular updates to paediatric equipment, and long-term strategies to sustain clinical excellence in remote areas.”
Together, Ruby and Peta highlight the resilience and commitment of rural nurses, professionals who not only rise to the challenges of remote healthcare, but also embrace new opportunities to keep care closer to home. Their experiences show how research like PARIS on Country is strengthening local capability and making a lasting difference for children, families, and communities across Queensland.