Close to 100 new nurses will embark on the next chapter of their careers at Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (WBHHS) this month as part of the initial 2023 graduate intake.
The new staff, consisting of graduates from both local universities and institutions further afield, will spend the next 12 months working across various clinical areas at Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Maryborough and rural facilities.
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Board Chair Peta Jamieson congratulated the graduate nurses for completing their studies and says she is pleased to be welcoming such a large intake.
“It’s no small feat to complete higher education, particularly in a complex and evolving field such as healthcare,” says Ms Jamieson.
“I commend our new graduates on completing their studies and look forward to seeing them hone their skills as important members of our team at WBHHS.
“As our population grows, so too must our workforce, and it’s critical we continue to welcome and upskill new graduates to ensure we have a sustainable nursing workforce well into the future.”
WBHHS Chief Executive Debbie Carroll says welcoming the enthusiastic and skilled nursing and midwifery graduates to Wide Bay is always one of her highlights.
“This is one of the largest single intakes of nursing and midwifery graduates accepted into our health service, which is great news for our community,” says Ms Carroll.
“Year after year we receive strong interest from graduates, and I truly believe this is reflective of our positive, supportive and inclusive environment and our values-based approach to delivering healthcare.
“By constantly bringing in talented graduates and upskilling them, our team is ensuring we can deliver the right care, in the right place, at the right time to Wide Bay patients for years to come.
“As in previous years, we’ll also welcome a second intake of graduates in mid-2023.”
More than 60 per cent of the nurses have already worked at WBHHS facilities as Undergraduate Students in Nursing (USIN).
“Many of them worked for us during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and having developed their skills under those challenging and rapidly changing conditions, we know they are more than capable of
tackling the next 12 months,” says WBHHS Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Fiona Sewell.
“These nurses will be working in a variety of areas across our entire region, including acute medical, surgical, emergency, critical care, renal, aged care and community health.
“During their graduate year, they’ll be given the opportunity to work with and learn from professionals from all streams – nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, administration and operational staff.”
