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How the pilot program will work

WI and WNSW LHD will enter into an MOU to endeavour to bridge the gap in Enrolled Nurse training brought about by the decision by NSW Health to cease training Enrolled Nurses.  This delivery methodology has not been implemented before in NSW.

WNSW LHD and WI staff will screen and recruit employees for this program.  Employees will be contracted by the Local Health District to provide them with an income to support themselves in their local region while studying the Diploma of Nursing. This will be the first opportunity Certificate III qualified graduates have had to gain access to a pathway to Enrolled Nursing at Diploma level.

(i) A combination of workplace development and institutional training

This pilot program is a strategy developed to address the shortage in qualified nursing staff within the Western NSW Local Health District. Students in rural and remote areas of NSW have to face increased barriers of geographical isolation, distance and lack of career opportunities when compared to metropolitan students.

The training model for this qualification will be recognition from the pre requisite Certificate III qualification, four (4) x four (4) week blocks of attendance at TAFE as approved by NMB NSW, flexible delivery of some theoretical components of the course and 690 hours of work placement in a WNSW LHD facility.

The program will run over a 2 year period. This pilot program will take advantage of new technologies such as iPod, Moodle, Smart boards, Adobe connect for learning and assessment methods.

WI will pilot this model of delivery with intakes of 16 participants per year over four years. We anticipate that this will give Western NSW at least 55 Diploma trained Enrolled Nurses over this period. This will not replace the current intake of 60 per year but will assist in a deficit by having Certificate III trained staff to fill some gaps in patient care previously filled by the T-E-N intake.

The students will complete their training in 24 months which is an increase in the timeframe over the previous model but will assist with the attrition of students unable to cope because of the workload and life demands placed on them. It will also spread the financial resources needed by students to cover travel and accommodation for block training attendance.

The pilot program will provide the opportunity for students to be eligible for some assistance with travel, accommodation and textbook costs normally met by the student. This will decrease the financial burden on the student. The workplace will benefit from having Certificate III trained staff committed for a period of two years giving WNSW LHD a more dependable and flexible workforce.

The pilot will monitor the usefulness of technologies such as podcasting, photo stories and Moodle platforms which have been developed in other areas of training in WI. Point of view cameras will also be trialled as learning tool.

As part of the MOU negotiated between WNSW LHD and WI, Health Service Managers at each location will facilitate and support the work placement program for the contracted employees so they are able to complete workplace assessment as required by NMB NSW. Staff qualified to assess in this role will be briefed on the clinical workplace requirements. Workplace assessment has been conducted this way previously with WNSW LHD staff and has met the requirements of the NMB NSW.