Canberra Health Services novice nurse consolidation program boosts workforce

Nari Kim is one of the nurses to graduate from Canberra Health Services' six-month novice nurse consolidation program.

"After graduating from nursing school, I had so much theory to apply in the clinical field and I wanted to improve ... my clinical skills, and I needed to have some support to begin with," she said.

"The educator comes everyday, checking on me ... and they helped me with everything, even the small things such as changing the bedsheets.

"Sometimes when I have stressful things, at work, they always [gave me] hints and tips how to manage handling the situation better, so I feel really supported."

After doing three months in a surgical team with orthopaedic, plastic surgery and ear, nose and throat patients, Ms Kim was offered a permanent role.

The pilot program allows registered and enrolled nurses who can only work part-time or hold a working visa upskill and be offered a job with Canberra Health Services.

It is a bridging program for nurses who have recently graduated from university or a vocational program.

All the nurses who have graduated from the program, which is 42 in total, have been offered roles, nurse educator Beth Vo said.

Nurses do three months placement in the surgical ward and three months in a medical ward.

"Addressing that staff shortage in the hospital is good," she said.

The program is undergoing another intake.

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"We're doing a three-month intake now and picking the best out of the pool of applicants [to] train them well in the wards," Ms Vo said.

The program was helping Canberra Health Services fill roster gaps, Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said.

"A skilled team of nurse educators provides ongoing professional development with clinical support and tailored education throughout the program to ensure participants develop confidence in their abilities to provide high-quality care," she said.

"Once the early career nurses graduate from the program, CHS is able to offer opportunities in nursing positions across different wards or in the relief pool.

"This enables a diversity of practice, as well as supporting our health services when there are periods of leave that need to be covered."

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