Training the next generation of great nurses

Every great nurse starts their career as a nursing student, and Redcliffe Hospital is proud to be playing its part in training the next generation of great nurses.

Chelsea Whye is a third-year nursing student from UniSC and she’s just completed a four-week clinical placement in Redcliffe Hospital’s Ward 5 East.

“I learned so much. More than I expected,” Chelsea said.

Chelsea said that during the placement, she put much of the theory she learned at uni into practice, and practised building professional rapport and relationships with real patients.

“That’s probably what I’ve enjoyed the most,” Chelsea said.

“I learned a lot about teamwork. It’s an amazing environment on 5 East – the dynamic they work in, and they have such good things to say about the nurses they work with.

“There’s always some anxiety going into a clinical placement, but it has been the best experience. We felt really welcomed and really well supported by our clinical facilitator and by the nurses we were working alongside.”

Nurse Unit Manager Ashish Bhatia said Ward 5 East was proud to support nursing and allied health students throughout most of the year, with clinical placements ranging from two to eight weeks.

“In our ward, we always make sure students feel part of the team. And on 5 East, we have a great team,” Ashish said.

“Most of our nurses have completed the preceptor course, which means they are very good at mentoring students.

“Nursing students on placement with us are encouraged to learn skills like catheter insertions, ECGs, and bladder scans – they get the practical experience they need to become great nurses.

“When students leave us, they provide some useful feedback too – as well as lots of chocolates and thank you cards.”