500 EXTRA NURSES GIVES NORTHERN HEALTH A LIFT
Christine Campbell, Member for Pascoe Vale, has welcomed news that more than 10,000 additional full time nurses and midwives have been recruited to work in the Victorian public health system over the past decade.
“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to give Victorians a better health system, by building new hospitals and hiring more doctors and nurses,” Ms Campbell said.
“Since 1999, an additional 10,516 equivalent full time (EFT) nurses and midwives have been recruited to Victorian public hospitals across the state, bringing the total number of EFT nurses working in the public health sector to 31,670.
“That’s an average of 1,000 additional nurses recruited each year.”
Ms Campbell said that these new nurses would benefit the local community, with 510 additional nurses (from 498 in 1999 to 1,008 in 2009) recruited to the Northern Health system over the past decade.
Ms Campbell said that this 100% per cent increase in local nurses over a decade was a product of Australia’s most successful nurse recruitment and retention campaign, and the continuing effort by the Brumby Government to rebuild Victoria’s hospitals and health services.
Recent initiatives to attract and retain nursing staff in Victoria include;
- Training more Division One and Two nurses. By 2010 Victoria will have an additional 745 university training places compared with 2005;
- Funding health services to help nurses return to the workforce after a lapse in practice or registration;
- Helping overseas nurses to register with Overseas Pre-registration Scholarships; and
- Additional training opportunities through Preceptorship Training grants, a mentoring program for new nurses and midwives.
“Victoria has also invested heavily in retaining existing nursing and midwifery staff, through continuing nurse education, professional development and training in specialised areas of nursing practice and postgraduate scholarships,” Ms Campbell said.
“Our nurses do a wonderful job of providing the very best care to sick Victorians.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of Victorian nurses and midwifes, new and existing, for their hard work and dedication.”