Opportunities for Student and Graduate Nurses
As one of Day Hospitals Australia’s strategic objectives, we’re addressing workforce challenges in the healthcare sector by working with universities to facilitate student and graduate nurse placements in day hospitals around Australia.
This initiative promotes professional development and exposure to educational opportunities for both students and nurses. It’s also a great way to recruit staff and support the day hospital sector.
Universities are eager to place students, and will fully support hospitals and students during their placement and day hospitals who already participate have shared positive feedback. For contact details of participating members contact info@dayhospitalsaustralia.net.au.
The following information is provided for day hospitals interested in accepting student or graduate nurse placements:
- A typical day for the student
- Additional information (key questions to ask, templates)
- Feedback from participating hospitals
- FAQ
Contact anne.hentschke@dayhospitalsaustralia.net.au for further information.
A typical day for the student
Monash House Private Hospital have provided the following summary of a typical day for students while on placement.
A typical day for a student
- Change into scrubs
- Check allocation and buddy
- Attend morning huddle
- Plan day with buddy
Allocated to PACU
Working with their buddy they will experience:
- Check emergency equipment
- Set up bays and check local equipment
- Review theatre list and discuss potential opportunities for learning and interest
- Receive and give clinical hand-over
- Clinical assessment and documentation (lots of obs)
- Observe surgical wounds
- Medication management
- Airway management
- Deteriorating patient management
- Support of the unconscious patient
Allocated to admissions
- Assist with the patient admission process
- Develop understanding of rapid relationship development in day procedure admission process
- Documentation and history taking
- Use of medical record
- Discharge planning
- Management of the relative and carers
- Patient education
- Time management
Allocated to Stage 2 / Discharge
- Receiving clinical hand-overs
- Post operative care of the day surgery patient
- Patient assessment and documentation
- Observations
- Tools used to determine readiness for discharge
- Discharge planning
- Patient education
Additional Information
Through the placement with Monash House, students also observe surgical procedures and anaesthetic processes and they will attend the regular in-service/education program.
Team work and providing opportunities for learning with both observation and hands-on experiences are at the forefront of planning.
Additional information
Key Questions to ask the university
- Payment per day – going rate is about $70 per day per student. Payment to be negotiated.
- Shift lengths and public holidays
- University to provide guidance on assessments and documentation
- Ensure you have details for contact/support person in the university
Notes:
The Government are paying the universities for clinical placement support so this should be passed on to the placement. Taking the students is a commitment of time from senior nurses and passing of placement is contingent on the work with them and completion of their assessment tools. Other local work is not being done to achieve this and small compensation is necessary.
Student Placements - Templates
- Orientation
- Falls in-service with NUM
- Small group and falls management learning package as first priority
- Learning package on pain management
- Learning package on PACU nursing
- Drug calculation test
- Theatre attire and PPE
Feedback from our members
Feedback from members of Day Hospitals Australia who have taken on students:
Monash House Private Hospital, Clayton, Victoria
“Monash House Private Hospital is excited to be taking two 3rd year students in August 2022 and will be working with the University to continue this arrangement into the future. The students placed are from Federation University, with a placement duration of 5 weeks. The University has provided great support with pre-placement meetings, and provision of student requirements and assessments and has also assisted with preceptor training for staff. We look forward to the students joining the team”.
Pacific Private Hospital, Southport, Queensland
“We have been only recently having students from Torrens University and TAFE. We were apprehensive as to the time that placements would take us away from clinical needs. However, we have found that our staff have embraced the experience with enthusiasm. It has uplifted spirits and they all want to mentor a student. It’s like they are reenergised. They are teaching their skills and sharing their knowledge and see this as the way to the future. We have had both nursing students and anaesthetic tech students. We have employed one nursing student as an AIN and she is amazing. Our anaesthetic techs will all contact us on completion and are keen to return to the day surgery sector. We have had thankyou letters, cards, flowers and even lunch supplied as a thank you. A great recruitment exercise and we actually get to know them before we employ. This is an asset to any employer. I encourage you all to embrace this. I acknowledge your concerns as we had them as well but we have to look at recruitment differently and this is definitely an alternative avenue but a positive experience for all”.
