GradStart in Western NSW

[Sonia Bonham - Gilgandra Hospital, Regional Nurse Education Western NSW LHD]

The modules, uh it's a framework so if someone entered into our facility and was starting the ARGN program, they would enrol online through My Health Learning and get access to a workbook and some learning modules and some videos and when they were happy that they understood the content then an educator like myself or a CNE would come out to the sites and we'd work one-on-one and just go through their understanding of that and do a verification to make sure that they're at a standard a level of adept, that then provided them with these skills to be able to work autonomously in our facilities, but part of a team.

[Isabella Dark - Registered Nurse, Gilgandra Hospital]

It's an amazing change. I didn't think that I would like it at the beginning but moved out here and within a month I knew that I wanted to stay and not go home, so just branch out and have a go. It's easy to make friends, get involved in the community. It's great, everyone's welcoming, it's a great change so if you're considering it, do it.

[on-screen text]

Apply now to work in Regional NSW

iworkfornsw.gov.au

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Nursing and midwifery
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Theatres - Dubbo Base Hospital

[Nurse]

I'm just getting an urgent cesarean section down, so you can go and have the girls in one.

[Holly - Registered Nurse]

I can do that. My name is Holly and I am a Registered Nurse working in Dubbo Theatres. I graduated uni in 2019 and started with New South Wales Health in the GradStart program, which enabled me to transition into my nursing career
with a little bit more support from educators and other nurses.

There's always so much to learn as a nurse so it sort of just enabled me to continue learning as I was practicing and starting my nursing career.

Know what we're doing for you today?

[Patient]

Yeah.

[Holly - Registered Nurse]

Are you warm enough?

[Patient]

Yeah.

[Holly - Registered Nurse]

Comfortable?

[Patient]

No worries at all.

[Holly - Registered Nurse]

Perfect, all right, I'll see you in there in a minute.

[Patient]

Thanks Holly.

[Cameron - GradStart Registered Nurse]

Just let me know all right if you need anything. Do you need anything? Buzz me if you need me, ok?

My name is Cameron, I am a new Grad RN at Dubbo Base Hospital.

The last four weeks of being a new Grad RN, I felt very supported. We've actually got quite a lot of mentors and buddies so we've got our educators as I've got Hayley in G Ward.

Last but not least. Perfect

The order is one gram and we've got normal saline 500, ends in and September 22.

[Hayley]

Fabulous.

[Cameron - GradStart Registered Nurse]

It's a really good culture, especially where i am at the moment. We're doing 3 rotations over 12 months so I'm in G Ward, for another 2 months I believe?

I hope that I go to the ICU.

I'm gonna increase the infusion rate to a bit higher, okay?

[Holly - Registered Nurse]

I did my first rotation at Dubbo Hospital in the operating theatre, so in the perioperative environment. It was completely new to me, all of it, but I just loved it. I loved standing right beside the surgeon and helping them and knowing that I'm helping the patient as well.

[Cameron - GradStart Registered Nurse]

In Dubbo you can say hi to most people and they'll say hi back. I've built quite a life here with just work and you know some of them, these nurses have become my closest friends.

So, I'm actually a Newcastle boy. I moved here to start studying my EN, so I decided to get back into football, soccer. I've coached the under eights and I also play first and second grades, so I play for South Dubbo Wanderers. It's my second family.

[Holly - Registered Nurse]

I just love the Dubbo community, everything you need is in Dubbo and the fact that the hospital is expanding so much is helping us, in a, from a health point of view. My fiance lives in Wellington, which is only 30 minutes away. We, we're
gonna build Geary, which is halfway between the two.

[Cameron - GradStart Registered Nurse]

So, Robin, we're just going to take you down to the transit lounge, okay?

The best thing about nursing is you can make a difference. We are lucky enough to have a massive impact on patients lives.

[Holly - Registered Nurse]

Yeah, I'm very, very lucky I love what I do. I would 100 recommend the GradStart Program. The support that the educators give you is amazing, there's always someone around to help when you're a GradStart nurse. There's so many resources available to you as a grad start nurse so it's, it was just a fantastic start to my nursing career. I don't have one regret at all about applying for a GradStart position with New South Wales Health.

[On-screen text]

NSW Helath Nursing and Midwifery Office
GradStart Nursing and Midwifery recruitment
health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/employment/Pages

[Interviewer]

What would you say to somebody about moving to Orange to join our new grad program?

[Kendall}

So I personally moved to Orange. I'd never been to Orange before. Never and I took the chance and did it. Um definitely, like it's scary it's really intimidating um but just the support that you get it's worth it. It's really worth the move and you always have someone there for you and that's the thing it's like almost like you have a family with lots of friends around.

Just take the chance, you may as well.

[Lucia]

No, I was really nervous. I think starting like a new grad position anyway like is nerve-wracking um, but you know when I first came in, like I think we've had support from day dot, like you guys like have always been available for us and always have had the time to um help us out whenever we need to after hours even. When I need a good cry. 

But, no I think it's really great I don't think when I talk to some of my other friends who are new grads I don't think they've had the support that we've been given to here so I really appreciate it and I do think it is needed in mental health. Sometimes it's a bit tough but you guys make it easier.

[Interviewer]

Would you have any comments to anyone who was not living in Orange and is maybe looking at a NewGrad program here?

[Lucia]

Yeah, I moved from Wollongong, so I've always grown up on the coast being like five minutes away from the beach, so coming here was a bit of a change. But it's nice, it's a nice little town. There's stuff to do which is fun um but yeah I think it's a nice town, everyone's nice. The weather's a bit different but, you know, you've got to get used to change sometimes.

[Interviewer]

Do you have any comments about moving to Orange to do a NewGrad program?

[Taylor]

Um, I actually really like Orange.

[laughter]

I'd never even been here before I moved, um I just knew I wanted to work in mental health and knew that like, Bloomfield seemed very appealing um and yeah I really like it I don't think I'm gonna leave.

I don't know, you just gotta like plant the little seeds where you want them to kind of grow and like that's what I want to do here so, yeah.

I'm Isabella Dark and I'm a Registered Nurse at Gilgandra MPS.

I am a new graduate Registered Nurse, I finished uni last year. So I did 6 months at Dubbo Base Hospital and 6 months out here at Gilgandra, so that's a supported program that we do for our first year out of uni, just so we can get our competencies marked off and learn the skills in a safer environment.

I moved from Wollongong at the beginning of the year to Dubbo. I've really enjoyed being out in the country, it's quite relaxed, everyone's really nice, I've made lots of friends, no traffic - that's good. Yeah, just really love how relaxed it is, how easy going and just really loving that change from the city and the busyness of that.