Around 520 graduate nurses and midwives will commence their graduate transition to practice program over the next six months under the GradConnect program, in a boost to Western Australia’s frontline health services.
WA Health’s GradConnect program recruits enrolled nurses, registered nurses and midwives twice a year, and brings the total of newly qualified graduates recruited to 1,449 for the year.
The paid graduate program provides newly qualified nurses and midwives ‘on the job’ transition to clinical practice experience, and these latest recruits deliver on the McGowan Government’s election commitment to increase graduate nursing placements by 400 in 2021 and 2022.
They receive ongoing mentoring by senior nurse educators, arming them with the tools to become a confident healthcare practitioner.
Throughout their program, graduates work in a variety of clinical settings to ensure they gain a range of experience while consolidating skills and knowledge developed during their undergraduate studies.
In the past 10 years, graduate positions offered in WA have increased by 78 per cent – 814 nurses and midwives accepted a graduate position in 2012 compared to 1,449 graduate positions offered in 2022.
More than 1,130 graduates were offered a position in a metropolitan healthcare facility while 200 graduates were offered rural and regional places.
As stated by Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
“These additional nurses and midwives will provide a much-needed boost to the ranks of our frontline health workers.
“Health services around the world are facing workforce pressures, which is why the McGowan Government is working hard to recruit healthcare workers including nurses and midwives to WA hospitals.
“It is such a pleasure to welcome these new graduates as part of WA Health’s biannual GradConnect program.
“Nurses and midwives are essential to our health system and I wish these new graduates well in their future career.”
