PROSERPINE Hospital will welcome five new nurses this year.
In total, 84 nursing graduates are joining the Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) this year, as part of the Nursing and Midwifery Graduate Program.
Of the 84 nurse graduates, 66 nurses will join the team at Mackay Base Hospital, five will be based in Proserpine, one at Sarina, and 12 will undertake rural rotations.
Sara, Matt and Chloe are just three of the 84 nursing graduates.
Chloe took up nursing to follow in her father’s footsteps.
Sarah decided she didn’t want a desk job.
Matt had an accident-prone family who spent a lot of time in the Emergency Department, inspiring him to consider a caring career.
Many graduates have completed inductions and are now working on wards across the district; another 21 are completing their induction this week, and an additional 14 will join in March.
Executive director of nursing and midwifery Karen Wade welcomed the newly qualified nurses.
“We are delighted to welcome our annual cohort of graduate nurses to the health service, where they will consolidate and further develop the clinical skills they learned at university,” Ms Wade said.
Nurse educator Julie Phillipson said it was a busy but exciting time of the year.
“It’s always exciting to see students grow and develop from undergraduate to graduate nurses,” Ms Phillipson said.
“You get a lot of satisfaction seeing them succeed and go on to deliver a service to the community.”
The Mackay HHS Nursing and Midwifery Graduate Program is twelve months and consists of either two six-month clinical rotations, or one 12-month rotation, across Mackay Base Hospital and rural hospitals.
“Graduate nurses undertake placements across any of the 25 clinical areas in the Base Hospital including mental health, emergency, renal, medical, cardiac, surgical, oncology and theatres, as well as across our rural facilities,” Ms Wade said.
