Millicent Spencer
Northern Health has welcomed its largest ever graduate nursing and midwifery cohort to date.
Locals may get to meet some of the 77 new graduates in the halls of the hospital as they kick start their careers in healthcare.
Nursing and midwifery education unit graduate program co-ordinator Kate Duggan said it’s fantastic to see fresh faces and a sense of nervous excitement amongst the group.
“We look forward to supporting their journey from student to beginner practitioner, as they continue to learn and consolidate upon the years of study they have all completed,” she said.
“Graduate nurses and midwives are critical in ensuring a sustainable workforce.
It can be a challenging time as they adjust to becoming part of a diverse organisation, they will be supported at every step along the way.”
The new staff members will each commence a 12-month ‘transition to practice’ graduate program, broken down into two six-month rotations across Northern Hospital Epping, Broadmeadows Hospital and Bundoora Centre.
Among the new graduates are a number who were born at Northern Health and are now returning to forge their own careers.
This includes Bobby Bhatty, who was born at Northern Health in 2000 and will be commencing his graduate program at the Northern Hospital Epping emergency department.
Mr Bhatty completed a bachelor of nursing at RMIT University in Bundoora and he has been employed at the hospital for the last two years as a RUSON (Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing) within the hospital’s Aboriginal Cadet Program.
“I am most looking forward to being part of a supportive team and developing all my critical thinking and nursing skills this year,” he said.
Trinity Saxby also joined Northern Health as a RUSON within the Aboriginal Cadet Program while studying a bachelor of nursing at La Trobe University in Bundoora.
Ms Saxby said she is excited to start the graduate program.
“I’m really looking forward to starting my nursing career here because Northern Health provides so many opportunities to grow and move toward my career goals in nursing,” she said.
