Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews has welcomed the announcement of an additional 280 university places to train nurses from 2009.
“This is great news for Victoria and is a direct response to my calls to the Commonwealth to provide additional nursing training places to support our hospitals, aged care facilities and mental health services,” Mr Andrews said.
“The new places are spread across six metropolitan and rural universities, with 60 places at rural campuses and ten postgraduate places for mental health nursing at Monash University.
“The allocation of these vital nurse training positions represents Victoria’s share of the national allocation in proportion to the state’s population.”
Mr Andrews said the Government would be working with the universities and health services to secure the clinical placements needed for this new intake of students to be successfully trained within our public health system.
“As part of this we will be supporting the infrastructure needs of health services which will be taking these students on clinical placements as part of their university courses,” he said.
“Over the next two years the Brumby Government will make $1 million available for spending on infrastructure grants to support public health services to deliver nursing and allied health clinical placements,” Mr Andrews said. "Over the next two years the Brumby Government will make $1 million
available for spending on infrastructure grants to support public
health services."
The additional Bachelor of Nursing undergraduate training places will be offered next year at La Trobe University Bundoora, Victoria University St Albans, Australian Catholic University Melbourne, University of Ballarat Mt Helen campus, Monash University Peninsula campus and Deakin University Geelong Waterfront campus.
Postgraduate training places for Master of Nursing and Master of Nursing in Mental Health will be offered at the Clayton and Peninsula campuses of Monash University.
Mr Andrews said Victoria had recruited more than 8,800 nurses into the public health system since 1999 and is continuing to provide assistance to nurses who want to return to the profession.
In a bid to address global nursing shortages, the Brumby Government recently announced funding for up to 30 new postgraduate nursing super-scholarships and refresher courses for up to 20 nurses to return to intensive care.
“Nurses who have left the profession are encouraged to consider returning as there is now more flexibility to accommodate part-time employment so that a work-life balance can be achieved,” Mr Andrews said.
Nurse Training Places
Course Name Level Campus Places
allocated
La Trobe University
Bachelor of Nursing UG Bundoora 60
Total 60
Victoria University
Bachelor of Nursing UG St Albans 60
Total 60
Australian Catholic University
Bachelor of Nursing UG Melbourne 30
Total 30
University of Ballarat
Bachelor of Nursing UG Mt Helen 20
Total 20
Monash University
Bachelor of Nursing UG Peninsula 20
Master of Nursing PG Clayton 30
Master of Nursing (Mental Health) PG Peninsula 10
Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Emergency Health UG Peninsula 10
Total 70
Deakin University UG
Bachelor of Nursing Geelong Campus at
Waterfront 40
Total 40
State Total Total 280