The Broken Hill distance education trial in nursing education

With Australia's ageing population, gerontology and geriatric nursing are likely to be growth areas in the medical and pare-medical fields. This has considerable implications for pre-service nursing courses and for the in-service education and refresher courses. Data from the National Survey of Nursing Personnel, prepared by the Nursing Advisory (Standing) Committee of the National and Medical Research Council, showed only three per cent of registered nurses in geriatric nursing in 1979 held a qualification. The Executive Director of the College of Nursing, Australia felt that there was a need for a range of gerontological nursing programs.