Graduate nurse exchange program opens up new horizons

A first-of-its-kind partnership is going to shake up the graduate experience as nurses within Bupa Australia and Ramsay Health Care will have the opportunity to swap places in a three-month exchange.

The unique exchange offers valuable skills and experiences for some of the newest healthcare and aged care nurses. It will also improve patient care at hospitals and residential aged care homes throughout Australia. 

Ramsay Health Care Chief Nurse and Clinical Services Director Associate Professor Bernadette Eather told Hello Leaders that upskilling nursing staff across both organisations is an incredibly important step for development and care delivery. 

She said that Ramsay Health Care’s Nursing and Midwifery Academy is committed to developing comprehensive career pathways for nurses and midwives. 

“Workforce shortages have been recognised across both the acute care and aged care sectors since COVID-19, and we’re always looking for ways to encourage the next generation of healthcare professionals, to upskill our existing staff, and offer them new opportunities for development,” A/Professor Eather explained. 

“The partnership with Bupa presented an excellent opportunity to cross-skill staff in the management of acutely unwell older persons both during hospitalisation and in residential aged care facilities. 

“The ability to provide both our nursing staff and Bupa nursing staff upskilling in this important area for the health of Australians is an important initiative for both organisations.”

Launching in 2025, the exchange program offers graduates comprehensive clinical experience and the development of key skills for managing aged care patients. From the healthcare perspective, it allows graduates to explore the likes of dementia care with hands-on interactions in an environment where holistic care is delivered. 

Both organisations will offer their own specific programs – Ramsay will provide an Excellence in Acute Care program and Bupa an Excellence in Aged Care program. Graduates can learn important on-the-job skills they can take back to their workplace and utilise throughout their careers. 

“These are important skills for nurses in hospitals and residential aged care homes, given our nation’s ageing population,” A/Professor Eather added.

“We believe this program will offer benefits to all participants, their colleagues and their patients. This partnership with Bupa is a wonderful opportunity for our graduates to gain valuable training and experience in the management of elderly patients in different settings. 

“The excellence in aged care program provided by Bupa will provide acute care nurses with a range of strategies and skills in the management of patients with dementia and they can then return to the acute care setting and use this knowledge throughout their nursing career.”

Managing Director Bupa Villages & Aged Care Australia Andrew Kinkade said the program is essential for helping the next generation of aged care nurses to support the needs of older Australians in a range of settings.

“Residents come into aged care with more complex needs than they did a few years ago and we continue to tailor our graduate programs accordingly,” he said.

“This partnership is the first time an aged care organisation has offered nurses the opportunity to work in a hospital setting as part of their graduate experience.

“At the same time, Ramsay graduates will gain experience working with multi-disciplinary teams and in building relationships with residents that go beyond acute care.”

The three-month exchange program also has the opportunity to showcase how learning and development opportunities for graduates are essential in aged care. 

Ramsay Health Care operates a Graduate Pathways Program that allows new graduates to transition to the workforce from study fully supported. They pick up the required tools to get a head start on their post-graduate skills development and excel in their careers.

This takes place over a foundation year and a second development year with exposure to additional clinical areas and sub-specialty skills acquisition. 

“This exchange program will offer them practical experience in a different healthcare setting, which aims to assist them in further building their skills and experience as a nurse,” A/Professor Eather said.

“The knowledge and technical skills they will learn aim to assist in the early recognition and management of conditions that could be treated in the home without the requirement to transfer the resident to an emergency department for assessment.”

Ramsay Health Care and Bupa Australia leaders already feel confident about the program’s success. A/Professor Eather said there’s hope it can develop into something that provides additional opportunities for partnership throughout the care sectors. 

“Coupled with the skill building in managing ageing patients with chronic and complex conditions, this partnership represents an excellent example of collaboration between different parts of the healthcare sector to achieve excellent outcomes for the Australian population and the nursing profession,” she said.