Around 520 graduate nurses and midwives are to begin their graduate transition to practice over the next six months under WA Health’s GradConnect program.
GradConnect recruits enrolled nurses, registered nurses and midwives twice annually, and brings the total of newly-qualified graduates recruited to 1,449 for the year.
The paid graduate program provides newly-qualified nurses and midwives with an on-the-job transition to clinical practice experience.
They receive continuing mentoring by senior nurse educators, arming them with the tools to become a confident healthcare practitioner.
Throughout their program, graduates work in a variety of clinical settings to ensure they gain a range of experience, while consolidating skills and knowledge developed during their undergraduate studies.
Minister for Health, Amber-Jade Sanderson said the additional nurses and midwives would provide a much-needed boost to the ranks of the State’s front-line health workers.
Meanwhile, finalists have been announced in the 2022 WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.
The 42 finalists, 36 individuals and six teams, represent a wide cross-section of the sector.
They include a registered midwife who provides antenatal care for vulnerable women in the North-West; a clinical nurse working within a pilot program aimed at transforming the way elderly patients are cared for, and a team of nursing staff who worked across Perth’s six quarantine hotels in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Award winners, including the 2022 WA Nurse or Midwife of the Year and the recipient of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Honour, will be announced on 25 November.
The finalists for the 2022 Awards can be accessed at this PS News link.
