October 24, 2022
Two nurses from the Rural Generalist Registered Nurse Program are joining the staff at Kingaroy Hospital.
The pair – Jill Sullivan and Mieke Steffens – are part of a Queensland program aimed at attracting nurses from the city to learn new skills in rural areas.
Jill has a background in renal nursing at Redcliffe Hospital and is looking to broaden her skill set.
“I enjoy being out of the city and the variety that rural nursing offers,” Ms Sullivan said.
Mieke is excited to take part in the program after being a community nurse for 15 years.
“You kind of do a bit of everything in the regions so I’m looking forward to learning new skills,” Ms Steffens said.
Darling Downs Health secured funding from the Office of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for four placements across the region.
The other applicants will be placed at Dalby and Warwick.
Assistant Director of Nursing Jodie Turvey said the 12-month program was the first of its kind for Queensland nurses.
“It’s about building capacity for nurses working in the rural and remote space,” Ms Turvey said.
“After consultation with key stakeholders across the State, we partnered with five HHS regions including Torres and Cape, South West, Central West, Darling Downs and North West.
“We looked at what education and training already existed and the context of rural and remote practice to develop a program with support systems and processes for the participants.
“This program is one of Queensland Health’s strategies to address the workforce challenges in recruitment and retention for rural and remote communities
“The program is being piloted by a total of 17 nurses across Queensland, four of which are on the Darling Downs.”
