Northern Hospital will be among the first 30 hospitals and health care services to benefit from a new state government program providing nursing and midwifery students with hands-on and practical experience.
The $59 million program will create 1125 registered undergraduate student nurse positions per year for two years, while a further $9.8 million will be invested by the government to create 75 registered undergraduate student midwife positions.
The positions will be filed by registered second and third year nursing and midwifery students.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas announced Northern Hospital as one of the first 30 hospitals and health care services to welcome the students.
Working under the supervision of a registered nurse or midwife, students will help with showering, feeding and transferring patients. Over time, they take on more complex tasks, such as monitoring vital signs, testing blood glucose levels and dressing minor wounds.
Midwifery students are given additional opportunities to help on maternity wards and under the supervision of experienced midwives, deliver care and support to new mums and their babies.
The government said the program would provide support to the existing nursing workforce as it faces record demand due to a challenging flu season, the emergence of new COVID variants causing a rise in hospitalisations and an increasing number of unwell healthcare workers.
“Healthcare systems across Australia are under pressure – providing more opportunities for student nurses to enter the workforce and while they get on-the-job training is just one way we’re relieving pressure on the system,” Ms Thomas said.
