Outback nurse safety petition gains wind

Nearly 90,000 people have signed a petition demanding stronger security measures for remote health workers following the violent murder of remote nurse Gayle Woodford.

Ms Woodford's body was discovered in a shallow outback grave in South Australia's far north on Saturday, four days after she went missing.

Joanne Norton, a nurse from Young in NSW, launched the petition last weekend urging for stronger safeguards for rural health workers, including making it mandatory to work in pairs when attending after-hour call outs and emergencies.

She also called on federal health minister Sussan Ley to abolish single nurse posts across the country.

Remote nurses regularly faced violent and dangerous situations when on call, she said.

"Many many nurses have been physically assaulted and since December last year, we have had two sexual assaults in one of the state and territories of this country which is absolutely abhorrent," she told the Seven Network.

Remote healthcare association CRANAplus executive officer Christopher Cliffe told AAP that people in the industry were very angry and upset over Ms Woodford's disappearance and death.

A Mimili man has been charged with the 56-year-old's murder and is due to face court on Tuesday.