The University of New England (UNE) and the University of Newcastle have teamed up to provided a series of informative talks to assist experienced and graduate nurses across a broad range of interest areas.
Titled Nursing Circle, these events are open to practicing nurses and student nurses across the region and aim to promote a greater level of longevity in nursing in regional areas.
“This idea of collaborating with the University of Newcastle came about because we were really kind of working on the same thing and towards the same goals.” said Senior Lecturer in Nursing for UNE, Natasha Hawkins.
“We had been running Tam Talks for nurses and now we’ve decided to rebrand to Nursing Circle to recognise our new collaboration.”
“The whole idea is that we just want to work together to ensure that our community has enough health professionals.”
Nursing Circle events will be held periodically throughout the year, with topics and frequency dictated by what students have requested. The next event will be held on June 10 and is focussed around preparing applications and selection criteria.
“The new graduate transition can be a difficult and daunting one so we’re trying to simplify the process and give our attendees a bit of an edge in the recruitment pool,” said Ms Hawkins.
“We’re also trying to encourage that sense of our nurses really finding their people, their circle that they can rely on, especially if they are new to the area or potentially come from a metropolitan area and are undertaking their placement in the regions.”
The work that UNE are doing in conjunction with UONDRH (University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health) is all largely centred around the acquisition and retention of nurses in regional areas.
“What we’ve found, particularly with our students who come out to the regions on placement, is that if they have a good time their more likely to return and work here for their first job,” said Ms Hawkins.
“I’m originally from Brisbane so I’ve worked in both metropolitan and regional nursing roles – the difference is that in a metropolitan area you’re often a specialist in something whereas in rural areas you need to be a generalist in everything and that transition can be difficult.”
“I find it so rewarding though – you really feel as though you’re making a difference in your community.”
Associate Lecturer in Nursing for the University of Newcastle, Jess Billett, also feels very passionate about promoting regional work for nurses but agrees that it is not without its challenges.
“We know there’s a national shortage of nurses and the effect is always felt more keenly in rural areas, we also know that there’s a massive shortage of doctors in regional areas and this in turn places more pressure on nursing staff,” said Ms Billett.
“But if we can have the support in place for our nurses and empower them with the ability to be more prepared, to know how to take steps to provide themselves with the level of self-care that they need, and the support network so that they know that assistance is there, we’re less likely to see the levels of burnout that we’ve experienced in the past.”
UONDRH has two other significant programs in place to assist in the retention of nursing staff in the region. This includes the Study in Place program, which allows EENs in the region to upskill without relocating, and 2nd year nursing students the opportunity to complete the remainder of their studies in Tamworth.
The Nursing Rural Immersion Program is designed for 3rd year nursing students and follows a similar format to that of Study in Place, allowing students to access remote learning, local mentoring and specially designed study centres, alongside subsidised accommodation costs.
Ms Billett sees their upcoming Nursing Circle on selection criteria as a vital piece of the puzzle for upcoming graduates.
“We know that a lot of our students get very anxious about the application process, especially for graduate programs,” she said.
“There are plenty of other job opportunities out there but the graduate programs are always the most popular as they’re a fully supported program that is overseen by an educator.”
“But the application process for them is very lengthy and can be quite difficult so we really want to support our students through this as best we can.”
The first Nursing Circle event will be held on Tuesday 10 June from 5pm at UNE Tamworth. Nursing students from all educational establishments are welcome and registration is open now online.
“I grew up in a small town in North West NSW and I’ve worked as a nurse in Tamworth and I love the fact that in a regional hospital you’re not just a number, you’re a valued member of the community,” said Ms Billett.
“Ultimately me and Tash’s [Hawkins] purpose is to ensure sustainability of nursing in our wonderful regional areas.”
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