Prognosis is for better healthcare services as new program widens nursing pathway

Clinical development nurse Beth Vo (right) has been training new nurses like Nari Kim (left) throughout the new program. Photo: James Day.

Twenty five nurses have begun their new careers after having graduated from Canberra Health Services’ new Novice Nurse Consolidation Program (NNCP).

Established in August last year, the initiative was set up to relieve the current health workforce shortages by providing an alternative pathway from the Transition to Practice Program (TPP).

It allows already-registered and enrolled nurses who may have missed out on a spot in the TPP, can only work part time, or just have a working visa, to begin their careers in supporting the community.

Nari Kim was inspired by her father, an oncologist based in South Korea, to pursue a career in health care and help vulnerable people. She is one of the younger nurses who have already graduated from the program and says it was a fantastic experience.

“In the last six months, I’ve felt really supported in starting my nursing career,” Nari says.

”They gave full-pay study days, orientation and shifts with full supervision for when I first started on the floor.

“Every day they came to check on how my shift was going, and they always asked if I needed any help, even if it was just changing the bedsheets.”

After graduating from nursing school, Nari felt she had a great deal of theory to apply and improve her skills through the clinical field, which this program allowed her to do.

Following the program, Nari was employed by Canberra Hospital to work in one of the surgical wards that focus on dermatology, the topic she found most interesting during her studies. On a day-to-day basis, Nari could be either applying skin grafts, or leeches as a form of skin therapy, for her patients.

The program began with two nurses but since then has enrolled 76, of whom 42 have already graduated.

Providing oversight to the trainees is a team of five clinical development nurses. One of them is Beth Vo, who wishes a program such as this had been available at the start of her career when roles were hard to secure.

Although there was just as much competition for this course, Ms Vo says she is especially glad a program like this is available to those who do not have citizenship or permanent residency.

The program starts nurses on three-month placements as assistants in different wards, where they learn what to expect from working in the industry. If the nurses wish to continue in their careers upon completing the program, they are given the chance to be interviewed and potentially selected to be employed as one of the permanent staff.