Mackay Hospital and Health Service will welcome more than 70 registered nurses and midwives to start their careers at Mackay Base Hospital and rural facilities this year.
Chief Executive Jo Whitehead said the health service was thrilled to offer 76 placements to graduates, up from 67 in 2019.
“Mackay HHS is always working to strengthen its nursing and midwifery workforce across all our hospitals and health services to ensure we continue delivering outstanding patient care,” Ms Whitehead said.
“We are so pleased that each year more and more nurses are choosing to launch their careers with us.”
Most nurses are graduates of CQUniversity and James Cook University.
“Many of the nurses are Mackay locals who had the opportunity to complete tertiary practical assessments throughout the health service,” Ms Whitehead said.
“This all forms part of our greater plan to “grow our own talent” and support Queensland Health’s commitment to provide jobs to locals and Queenslanders where possible.”
Places for the coveted graduate positions are always well contended with Mackay receiving more than 240 applications, of which 120 were interviewed before the final 76 were chosen.
Nurses will 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 graduates will have the opportunity to work in one of our rural hospitals as part of their rotation. Applicants who are accepted to work in rural relief positions undergo a longer orientation and upskilling program.
“This includes time in the wound clinic, emergency department and medical ward to allow them to care for the wider range of patients they will see in a rural hospital.”
Ms Whitehead said one of the benefits offered to nurses is specialised “on the job” clinical training together with the additional support of the post graduate program.
“Their graduate year is an opportunity to work in different areas of the hospitals and experience the variety of nursing that is available,” she said.
Mackay Hospital and Health Service continues to support graduate registered nurses after their first year of professional practise with excellent retention rates.
Media Contact:
Amie Galletly | Communications Officer| 4885 6808
