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Imposter syndrome is the persistent belief that not only is your success undeserved, but that exposure is imminent, and you will be 'found out'. This is a common experience in rural and remote practice, particularly as you may be the only clinician for miles around,...
There is often a moment that goes unnoticed. It is not the start of your work shift, when you are getting your head around all the things that need to be done, and it’s not quite at the end of your work shift, where you have logged off, shut down, written the last...
It’s the end of your shift, you’re walking or driving back home to your accommodation, and the events of the day are sitting heavily. Perhaps a patient interaction didn’t go the way you had hoped. A family got upset with you. You made a call under pressure with the...
I’m sure we’ve all been in this position before: it’s the end of a long day, you’ve had a couple of crises you had to deal with on top of your normal workload, and you’re tired. Perhaps it was the obtrusive family. Maybe it was the system that, once again, let someone...
Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up feeling flat, disconnected and dreading the day ahead? This can be a common feeling, yet it is rarely spoken about. Feeling demotivated isn’t a character flaw or a sign that you’ve chosen the wrong career, but your...
This Sunday is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT). The 2026 theme is “At the heart of democracy”, which serves as a powerful reminder that “the soil of truly democratic societies must be rich in meaningful equity and justice for...
Saying “I’m sorry” can bring up a lot of emotions. Sometimes it can be hard to say, or it doesn’t seem to come out the ‘right way’. In rural and remote health settings, our relationships with colleagues and clients can often be quite close, which is why apologies can...
Many of us working in rural and remote health have experienced a particular kind of tired. It’s not just the end-of-shift exhaustion or the aches from a long drive back from an outreach clinic. It’s often a quieter fatigue that settles in; the work that once felt...
As I’m writing this (a few weeks in advance of publication), I’m in a remote area of our amazing country, feeling very soggy, cut off by impassable flooded roads, and contemplating another week of predicted rain in this already saturated part of the country. Clinics...
I think I am one of those ‘odd’ people and do not ‘scroll’ very much. I must admit, I do like a bit of Pinterest for inspiration and ideas. This week, the wisdom of the sea turtle stood out to me and reminded me of so many beautiful things when working in rural and...
In rural and remote health, we can often wear our competence like a superhero’s cape. We are expected to be capable, steady and solutions-focused. We are the person people call when things fall apart. We are often the first and last point of care across vast...
At times, we can feel drained, if not emptied of energy. It could be the long hours, professional isolation or workforce shortages that contribute to this feeling. However, sometimes the deepest distress comes from something harder to describe: knowing what the right...