The University of the Sunshine Coast and aged care provider Lutheran Services say the final-year placement program they have co-designed has the potential to become a model for the sector.
As Australia’s aged care sector struggles with critical workforce shortages, the final-year university placement is helping nursing students fast-track their transition into work-ready graduates.
The pilot program at an aged care centre in Gympie was so effective it has been expanded to now include three Lutheran Services aged care sites across South-East Queensland.
UniSC aged care specialist Dr John Rosenberg said the Transition to Practice program provided Bachelor of Nursing Science students with expanded insights, skills and passion for caring for the elderly.
“Usually, aged-care placements occur in first year, where the emphasis is mostly on an introduction to general nursing, yet aged care residents have complex needs that require knowledgeable and skilful practitioners,” he said.
“In this final-year placement, we’ve added extra layers of targeted learning – including a series of lectures led by UniSC academics and industry professionals.
“These cover topics such as dementia, falls prevention, wound management and end-of-life care – all critical issues for our students to become familiar with, to prepare them for careers as registered nurses in aged care.”
Lutheran Services CEO Nick Ryan said such innovative partnerships between universities and industry were the key to unlocking potential opportunity and helping to future-proof Australia’s aged care workforce.
“There is a national shortage of registered nurses in all sectors and our partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast is one way of tackling this challenge,” Mr Ryan said.
“It’s also a great way of harnessing the passion of our up-and-coming nursing students and providing an easier pathway into such a rewarding area as aged care.”
Wendy Williams, one of the graduating students who has secured a role with Lutheran Services, said the opportunity to choose aged care for her final placement instead of a clinical hospital setting was ideal.
“Aged care, in particularly palliative care, was a career goal when I began my studies,” she said.
“It requires a lot of critical thinking to put your practices and education together to work out the optimal care for residents with complex needs – and that is ultimately hugely rewarding.”
“The placement was so valuable – and securing a job at the end with Lutheran Services was icing on the cake.”
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