faculty focus
Healthcare hit by states’ cuts
A federal government website says the outlook for nursing is one of growth but the states are cutting graduate placements. Antonia Maiolo reports
The chief executive of Gold Coast TAFE, Aaron Devine, is optimistic about employment opportunities for nursing graduates despite the federal and Queensland governments slashing the health budget.
Queensland TAFE reported an increase of 8.5 per cent in enrolments this year across all programs, with the diploma of nursing a popular choice amongst applicants.
Devine said the long-term employment projections for healthcare professionals continue to show strong demand.
He said that according to the federal government’ s Job Outlook website, joboutlook. gov. au, employment for enrolled and mothercraft nurses to 2016-17 was expected to grow very strongly.
“ GCIT [ Gold Coast Institute TAFE ] is conscious of ensuring that students achieve their career goals, and programs are designed in close consultation with the health industry to ensure students are equipped with a competitive edge when entering the workforce,” Devine said.
He said the Enrolled Nursing program at Gold Coast TAFE has exceeded national standards and has been recognised by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council as a program leading the country and a“ gold standard model for others”.
The institute is aligned with many national healthcare providers such as Ramsay Health and Healthscope which is aimed at expanding students’ career prospects.
Devine said the institute’ s current partnering program with Ramsay Health has graduate job offers with the organisation exceeding 98 per cent.
However, Queensland Nurses’ Union assistant secretary Des Elder said job opportunities for new graduates have been severely curtailed as a result of budget cuts by the state government.
“ In the current environment it is difficult to predict the length of time it will take for new graduates to achieve appointment to a substantive position,” Elder said.
He said even at the Gold Coast Hospital, which is employing more than most health services, nurses are only being offered part-time positions.
At Nambour Hospital, on the Sunshine Coast, Elder said that enrolled nurses who have completed their registered nurse training are only being offered temporary positions and have to relinquish their permanent enrolled nurse position.
The Australian Nursing Federation has launched a campaign called“ Stop passing the buck, Australia’ s nursing graduates need jobs”. It calls on the federal government to find solutions to the growing shortage of nurses and midwives across the country.
The ANF reports that in Queensland only 10 per cent of nursing graduates have been offered jobs. In Tasmania the union says the figure is 30 per cent, South Australia 50 per cent and it says there are 800 nurse graduates unemployed in Victoria.
“ This is a real concern as we have on the horizon the commissioning of the new Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast campuses,” Elder said.
“ New graduates need immediate opportunities to consolidate their learning and that can only occur if they have jobs and appropriate mentoring.”
Elder said he doesn’ t think anyone should underestimate the shortages that we will encounter in the future in regard to maintaining an adequate registered and enrolled nursing workforce if current trends continue. ■
The longterm employment projections for healthcare professionals continue to show strong demand.
Aaron Devine
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