Ararat nursing recruits
Students from Ararat and the wider region are now studying for their Diploma of Nursing through a collaboration between East Grampians Health Service and Australian Catholic University.
Nineteen of the 28 students are from Ararat district, with seven from Stawell and two from Horsham districts.
Classes are at East Grampians Health Service’s Pyrenees House Education Centre.
Acucom’s Diploma of Nursing is an 18-month course where on successful completion the graduates are entitled to register as Endorsed Enrolled Nurses.
The ‘endorsed’ title means they are qualified to administer medications and manage intravenous therapy.
Acucom started the course in Ballarat in 2015 after previously only running it from its Melbourne campus.
East Grampians Health Service chief executive Nick Bush said a nursing workforce shortage across regional Victoria, including in Ararat, meant there was a need to find new ways to attract nurses to work in regional areas.
Close to home
“By having the Diploma of Nursing training onsite meant we attracted local students, who hopefully at the completion of their course will want to stay and work in Ararat,” he said.
“The students are also benefiting as they are training in their home town, or at least close by, with no need to move to Ballarat or Melbourne for study, and all the expense that entails.
“It has proven beneficial for both younger and older students who might have families or other employment – having local opportunities for training means we keep people in the local area.”
Students attend classes for the full-time course four days a week.
A theoretical part covers a wide range of health topics from aged care to mental health and acute care. To complement the theoretical part, the students complete 10 weeks of clinical placements in areas including aged and acute care.
East Grampians Health Services provides classroom trainers to teach the various theoretical units and also provides learning experiences students will use for clinical placement.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council accredits the course and graduates will register with the Australian Health Practitioners Registering Authority.