Summary
- new role to help nurses find their feet in remote communities.
- ease the workload of line managers.
- initial 6-month period but with the possibility of extension if the role proves successful.
Nursing staff new to TCHHS now have a concierge to help them find their feet in remote communities.
The new Associate Nurse Manager Candidate Care role has been funded for an initial six-month period but with the possibility of extension if the role proves successful.
“This position is about ensuring that there's a smooth and seamless transition for nurses, from where they're moving from to get to their actual destination,” Director of Nursing Workforce Sharyn Everett said.
“When they get to site, sometimes it's quite confronting and it's a little bit overwhelming because you're in a remote site as opposed to downtown Brisbane.”
The new ANM Candidate Care, Emma Haylett, comes to TCHHS with remote and regional nursing experience in Mackay, Innisfail and Alice Springs.
She said her remote experience has informed how she would support nursing staff unfamiliar with the TCHHS region.
“I’m really passionate about rural and remote healthcare,” Emma said.
“As someone who has moved around and lived in some remote and regional areas, I can understand that candidates do need that support and information because they may not have had those experiences in those places.
“If you're someone who's got kids or are a bit older and you just need more security in your job, it'd be good to have that information before you're crossing state lines.”
She said organisations that did not support staff often developed less than ideal reputations.
“Having worked on the ground, if there is a hospital that does not support their staff, word does spread around,” Emma said.
“It’s critical that we ensure people feel supported and that they do have a point of contact if they don't feel supported, so we can make sure that their experience is positive.
“It can make the difference between staff leaving and telling people ‘oh I had such a great time at Torres and Cape’ instead of ‘oh my gosh, that was the worst experience.’“
Nurse Manager Abby Conry said Emma’s role would ease the workload of line managers.
“The feedback from the line managers and the teams has been overwhelmingly positive because we take away their entire administrative burden of recruitment, which is huge for all our managers who are already so swamped with work,” Abby said.
Emma said if she could help fill vacancies at remote facilities over the next six months, her would be time well spent.
“Hopefully, we can fill some more chronic vacancies, or if we can't fill them permanently, because some places are very remote, at least we can have some regular nursing staff return and do stints regularly,” she said.
“We want communities to have a bit continuity of care, with less staff turnover. That’s the goal.”