By NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell
Nurses and midwives are at the very heart of our health system and, as a society, we rely on them to deliver the highest
standards of care with skill and compassion.
From this month, we welcome more than 1,800 new graduate nurses and midwives who are starting their careers in 123 hospitals across New South Wales.
Among them are 42 graduates who were welcomed on their first day on the job at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead by NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner, Member for Parramatta Dr Geoff Lee and Member for Granville Tony Issa. The MPs were on hand to congratulate the new nurses and midwives for completing their studies while wishing them well as they begin their careers in one of the truly great professions.
After years of university study, the graduates will consolidate theory into practice. They will be supported through a comprehensive orientation program and will be allocated a mentor.
During their training they will gain experience across a number of practice areas, including general medicine, maternity, mental health and paediatric care.
This year’s intake of over 1,800 graduates takes to more than 47,500 the number of nurses and midwives working with NSW Health in our hospitals and health services.
Before coming to government, the NSW Liberals & Nationals promised to provide an extra 2,475 qualified nurses in our first term.
We met that target in half the time and I am proud to say there are now over 4,100 headcount nurses – or more than 2,800 full-time equivalent – extra nurses and midwives working in our hospitals and in the community than when we came to office almost three years ago.
It’s also extremely pleasing to see 630 new graduates and midwives, or more than a third of this year’s graduates, have accepted positions in the State’s rural and regional hospitals.
This is an exciting time of year for our hospitals. Just a few weeks ago we saw a fresh intake of new doctors, who will now be joined by a host of fresh faces as new nurses and midwives start work.
We welcome this influx of medical professionals, who represent the NSW Government’s commitment to getting on with the job of delivering more frontline services.
I would also like to thank the State’s newest nurses and midwives for choosing to devote themselves to caring for our community.
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