More than 3,400 graduate nurses and midwives will start work across NSW public hospitals this year, providing a significant boost to health services.
The Hunter New England will benefit from 249 graduate nurses and 16 graduate midwives, a total of 265 medical professionals adding to our ranks.
The graduates will gain invaluable experience across a broad range of clinical settings, as well as in community healthcare.
“These graduates will have the opportunity to work in the multidisciplinary team alongside our experienced and highly skilled staff in one of the world’s best health systems.” said NSW Health’s Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officer, Jacqui Cross.
The announcement comes as the NSW Government is undertaking an ambitious plan to strengthen the state’s health workforce, including through:
- Implementing safe staffing levels of nurses and midwives beginning in our emergency departments
- making permanent 1,112 nursing roles temporarily funded by the former government
- abolishing the wages cap and delivering record pay increases for nurses, paramedics and other health workers as well as salary packaging
- beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities; and increasing the rural health workforce incentive scheme package from $10,000 to up to $20,000 for recruitment to our hardest to fill roles
- Introducing a total of 12,000 tertiary health study subsidies of $4,000 a year over three years for newly commencing students, or one off $8,000 for existing students paid upon commencement in a role in NSW Health, to assist with the cost of study and to attract health graduates to work with the NSW public health system.
“I welcome these graduates who are about to begin their professional journey with NSW Health and thank them for their commitment to providing high quality, compassionate healthcare to the people of NSW.” said Minister for Health, Ryan Park.
“NSW has one of the best health systems in the world, and throughout their career I am determined to give these new nurses and midwives the support they need to make it even better.”
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