JCU: Murtupuni Centre for Rural & Remote Health

14/09/2026

Calling all nursing students or recent graduates who have completed a placement in aged care!

Are you a nursing student or recent graduate (2023 onwards) who has completed a clinical placement in an aged care setting?
We’re inviting participants for focus groups as part of a research project exploring how aged care placements influence nursing students’ perceptions of gerontological nursing and their career choices.

Each focus group will comprise 3 to 4 participants and will be conducted online.
Your insights may help improve future aged care placement models.

✅ If you've completed an aged care placement
✅ You're willing to share your experience in a small group discussion with up to 3 other peers
✅ And you have a spare 60-90 minutes.

👉 We'd love to hear from you!

📧 To express interest or learn more, please contact:
[email protected]

📌 Ethics Approval Number:
25H-0429

Thank you for helping strengthen aged care education and workforce development in Australia!

Are you a nursing student or recent graduate (2023 onwards) who has completed a clinical placement in an aged care setting?

13/09/2026

Student Placement | Check out our Medical, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy students at the Weipa Running Festival 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Students on placement volunteered at the First Aid Station, while Physiotherapy students had the opportunity to showcase their strapping skills in the Recovery Tent.

A huge thank you to our Far North team and the Cape York community for their warm welcome and for helping create a valuable, hands-on learning experience for our students.

10/09/2026

Student Placement | Check out Medical, Nursing and Allied Health students out and about in the Weipa, Mapoon and Napranum Communities supporting our Far North team with their Teddy Bear Hospital program 🧸

Primary school students Prep – Year 2 had a fun day supported by students on placement caring for their teddy bears with interactive activities including hand washing, teeth brushing, healthy eating, exercise, sun safety and doctor role play.

The session concludes with a Teddy Bear Picnic, which is always a great hit with the local school children.

Thankyou to the Far North Team and the Cape York school communities for welcoming students on placement and providing such valuable experiences out in community.

08/09/2026

Outback Allied Health Forum 2026 | Event Recap

What an impressive showcase of Allied Health professionals working in rural and remote Australia.

JCU MCRRH in collaboration with North West Hospital and Health Service, Gidgee Healing and NWRH joined forces to present the 2026 Outback Allied Health Forum at JCU's Murtupuni Centre for Rural and Remote Health.

Our teams are incredibly appreciative of our partners Western Queensland Primary Health Network, Mental Health Professionals' Network and Health Workforce Queensland. The success of the forum would not be what it is without your support.

It is such a pleasure to see our joint efforts come to fruition across two jam packed days, and to be able to see all the outstanding Allied Health initiatives quietly making an impact in our rural and remote communities !

Thankyou to all who attended and assisted in the planning of this event.

05/08/2026

Student Placement | Check out what Jono, one of our 4th-year JCU medical students, had to say about his recent placement out in Longreach! https://bit.ly/4fZ9ZBN

Jono had such an incredible time in Central West Queensland that he is already counting down the days until his next rural adventure—a 12-week placement in Mount Isa next year!

Thank you to our amazing Longreach team and the welcoming Central West community for making our students' experiences so unforgettable.



JCU: College of Medicine and Dentistry

More than 10 years ago, I first visited Longreach with my family, and I still remember being amazed to see a huge Qantas plane in the middle of the outback.

04/08/2026

Student Placement | Checkout Dietetics students Louise and Kennedy supporting PCYC Mount Isa with their herb garden while on placement with North West Hospital and Health Service

JCU MCRRH truly values the opportunity to work with the PCYC and NWHHS to help facilitate student learning in the community while on placement.

30/07/2026

Student Placement | Check out two of our 4th year JCU Medicine students and our Longreach team at Longreach’s Central West Queensland Care Expo held in June!

Isabella, Patti and Jonathan joined a variety of local providers and community stakeholders supporting health and wellbeing across Central West Queensland.



JCU: College of Medicine and Dentistry

29/07/2026

Student Placement | Check out what Occupational Therapy student, Jhett on placement in Longreach for 10 weeks got up to with North West Remote Health.

It is always such a pleasure to watch students grow and gain confidence during their placements.

Thank you to NWRH and JCU MCRRH’s Longreach team for supporting JCU students on their placement journey.

Recently we had the pleasure of hosting Jhett a fourth year Occupational Therapy student from JCU: James Cook University, Australia📚✏️

Joining our Longreach team for a 10 week placement, we asked Jhett a few questions about herself and her time with us:

❓HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR TIME WITH OUR CENTRAL WEST TEAM?
I am so grateful to have had my final placement experience with the friendly team at NWRH, in Longreach.

Throughout my placement, I have felt very well supported as a student and have had many opportunities to develop and consolidate my clinical skills and knowledge in this rural and remote community setting.

❓WHAT SKILLS DID YOU GET TO PRACTICE?
I have had the opportunity to collaborate with my clinical educator and other OTs on the team, to provide a range of OT interventions, such as home modifications, assistive technology prescription, functional retraining, and more.

❓WHAT WOULD BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR PLACEMENT?
The highlight of my placement has been travelling to nearby towns on outreach trips with the multidisciplinary NWRH team. These experiences have helped to shape my understanding of OT and healthcare in rural and remote areas, and the successful impact collaborative practice can have on client outcomes and holistic wellbeing!

❓WHY DID YOU CHOOSE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
I chose OT as my career pathway as I am passionate about helping others to live their life with as much meaning, purpose and independence as possible!

❓ANY FINAL WORDS FOR OTHER ASPIRING ALLIED HEALTH STUDENTS?
Throughout my placement, I have developed an understanding of just how important it is for OT and healthcare students to undertake a placement in rural and remote settings.

Aside from the beautiful scenery, this setting offers the unique opportunity for students to develop practical and clinical skills in locations where health services and resources may be limited, wait times can be abundant and where members of small communities especially appreciate the input you can offer!

JCU: Murtupuni Centre for Rural & Remote Health

09/07/2026

Student Placement | Checkout what our Exercise Physiology students on placement have been up to with Injilinji Community Kindergarten. A big thankyou to the Injilinji team, we truly value your continued support in providing meaningful learning for students on placement.

🎓 University students are learning on the job in Mount Isa ... while helping fill gaps for local services.

Fourth-year exercise physiology students from QUT recently completed placements at Injilinji Community Kindergarten , through a service learning program facilitated by JCU: Murtupuni Centre for Rural & Remote Health.

Instead of observing in a clinic or hospital, the students ran weekly, short, fun programs to support children’s movement, balance, coordination, turn-taking and confidence 🏃‍♀️🎶

“This provides extra support and expertise that we don’t have and that is needed in our services,” Early Childhood Teacher Rebecca Richmond said.

👉Student Sarah Moschella said working with children and the community gave students “that experience that you would never get if you were just sitting at uni behind your computer all day”.

Fellow student Olivia McVie said it was rewarding 🥰 to see children improve, “even on their jumping ability or their single leg ability”.

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18/06/2026

✨ Long Weekend Closure Notice ✨

Just a friendly reminder that we will be closed for the Mount Isa Show Holiday.

Our team wishes you a happy and relaxing break.