Mackay Hospital and Health Service has recruited 50 graduate nurses and midwives to work across our eight hospitals.
Chief Executive Lisa Davies Jones said the intake included four midwives who would work at Mackay Base and Proserpine hospitals.
Another two graduates will join the health service in July this year.
“All of our graduates are local to the Mackay region and most studied at James Cook University and CQUniversity,” Ms Davies Jones said.
Graduate nurses undertake post-graduate placements in two rotations across any of the 25 clinical areas in the Base Hospital including mental health, emergency, renal, medical, cardiac, surgical, oncology and theatres.
Fifty percent of this year’s post graduate nurses have the opportunity to work in one of our rural hospitals as part of their rotation.
Assistant Minister for Health and Regional Health Infrastructure and Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert said welcomed the graduate nurses to the region.
“A strong and well-resourced health system and workforce is so critical to our community,” Mrs Gilbert said.
“Nurses and midwives play such an important role in caring for the Mackay region, and I have no doubt that these 50 new graduates will enjoy rewarding careers.”
Applicants who are accepted to work in rural relief positions undergo a longer orientation and upskilling program.
This year two of the nurses will work as rural relievers across three facilities.
“The new registered nurses and midwives are really well supported during this time with mentoring and practical experience to consolidate the skills they learned at university,” she said.
Ms Davies Jones said the excellent retention rate of the 76 graduate nurses and midwives from 2020 has resulted in a small number of recruits for 2021.
She said the 98% retention rate was due to Mackay HHS being an excellent location to launch and grow a nursing career
“More and more of our new nurses are locals graduating from local universities, so it is no surprise they want to develop their career close to home.
“We are delighted that this is the case because looking ahead it means a stable workforce as they progress through career,” she said.
