Aged care nursing research leader selected to develop tomorrow’s aged care nursing workforce
UOW successful tenderer for national nursing training initiative
The University of Wollongong (UOW) has been selected by the Australian Government to help develop Australia’s aged care nursing workforce under a new Australian Government initiative.
UOW was selected among three successful tenders nationally to deliver specialised training programs over three years for Registered Nurses (RNs) under the Aged Care Transition to Practice (ACTTP) initiative.
The initiative aims to increase the availability of RNs with the required experience and education in aged care to meet the growing care needs of older Australians by attracting up to 740 new nurses to the aged care sector across all three providers.
UOW’s program will guide nurses in their first year of clinical practice through mentorship, professional development, and specialist education to help them increase their skills and capabilities and encourage them to pursue aged care nursing practice.
In addition to being an internationally respected nursing education provider with successful nursing education programs operating at four of its Australian campuses and at its Dubai campus, the University Wollongong was chosen partly because of its well-established place as a leader in gerontological (aged care) nursing competencies.
Nursing Professor, Director of UOW’s Aged Dementia Healthy Education & Research (ADHERe) Centre and project leader, Professor Victoria Traynor, was very pleased with the tender outcome.
“Aged care is the fastest growing area of clinical practice in Australia’s health care sector, and we urgently need more and better qualified and education aged care nurses.
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to deliver this program to support aged care nurses and ensure older Australians receive the best possible care.
“UOW has invested significantly over many years in developing our expertise in this field and the whole team is looking forward to applying that expertise to this program,” Professor Traynor said.
UOW Vice-Chancellor, Professor Patricia Davidson, who recently took office after serving as Dean of the School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, USA, congratulated the team on their tender success.
“I am very proud to see UOW’s nursing school team selected for such an important national initiative.
Your selection by the Australian Government pays testament to the reputation you have built for delivering quality nursing education and training based on solid expertise and continuing research,” Professor Davidson said.
UOW will be supported in delivering the program by its collaborators, the University of Canberra and Leading Aged Services Australia, along with aged care sector partners.