New nursing partnership with Federation University Australia

12 Oct 2022

The partnership will see approximately 12 first-year students recruited to the new clinical school, which creates more opportunities for more nurses to be trained in Ballarat. Once fully established, the clinical school will have at least 36 students across all years completing placement at the hospital each year.

This partnership will mean students have more opportunities for clinical placements, and more continuity with our clinical educators, providing a better overall experience for students.

St John of God Ballarat Hospital Learning and Development Manager Josh Stott is excited about the new partnership and what it means for the hospital. 

“The school allows both St John of God Ballarat Hospital and Federation University Australia to establish a cohort of undergraduates to become workplace ready for future graduate programs at Ballarat, allowing the students to practice in accordance to the Mission and Values, and become a valued member of the wider St John of God Health Care family.”

Federation University Australia Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Academic Wendy Cross believes that the clinical partnership is a win for all involved and a boon to health care in the region.

“This partnership with St John of God Ballarat Hospital is a real win for all involved and aligns with Federation University’s cooperative education model that aims to forge closer links between industry and higher education. There’s a strong demand for nurses in regional areas, and this partnership will establish a pipeline of much-needed quality nurses into the workforce while providing great opportunities for our students.”

The introduction of the new clinical school will also aid in increasing the intake for St John of God Ballarat Hospital’s graduate nursing program, which will see its largest ever intake of graduate nurses in 2023.

“The vision of the clinical school allows us to continue to grow, in line with the completion of St John of God Ballarat Hospital's redevelopment and future-proofing Ballarat’s health care requirements,” Josh said.

St John of God Ballarat Hospital Director of Nursing Maria Noonan believes this new clinical school will be an important step in providing nursing students with a supportive learning environment which, hopefully, will flow into an ongoing working relationship which will assist in alleviating the shortage of nurses in Ballarat. 

The first intake of nursing students commenced at the beginning of October.