WIMMERA health executives are in discussions with Federation University to see if the practical component of nursing courses could be delivered at regional hospitals.
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Last month, the Mail-Times revealed that from 2016 students would be required to attend classes in Ballarat to complete their nursing courses.
The Horsham campus will not be an accredited teaching site, meaning some practical components of the course would not be able to be completed in the Wimmera.
Wimmera head of campus Geoff Lord said negotiations with health chiefs had been on-going over the past few months.
‘‘We are working with the industry to see which hospitals and which health providers in the region would suit the practical components,’’ he said.
‘‘In no way, shape or form is nursing leaving here,’’ he said.
Rural Northwest Health chief executive Catherine Morley said negotiations were underway, but the university and health services were yet to reach an agreement.
‘‘We are trying to work together to get good outcomes for all of us,’’ she said.
‘‘There is nothing on the table that meets all our needs, yet.’’
She said the future of the nursing course’s availability had improved in recent weeks.
‘‘We don’t disagree that the course has to be updated to reflect the changes in practices and needs in health services,’’ she said.
Ms Morley said the availability of nursing courses was important for service delivery in the region.
‘‘We definitely want our community members to be able to access the study and clinical requirements they need as close to home as possible,’’ she said.
‘‘We want a program that is going to meet the needs of students so they come out with a great qualification and are ready for work.’’
Wimmera Health Care Group chief executive Chris Scott said the board met on Thursday night and was concerned about the future of nursing in the Wimmera.
‘‘Given that about 25 per cent of our nursing workforce is Fed Uni trained, at this point in time the board is keen to determine what the actual ramifications and effects will be before it progresses any further with what options might be available,’’ he said.
Mr Scott said Federation University was a critical component of the future of health care in the Wimmera and had done a brilliant job in training many of the group’s staff.
‘‘Locally-trained people are more likely to stay in the area in the long-term. Quite clearly that is beneficial to the continuity and quality of care,’’ he said.
Mr Scott said he was eager to learn more about what the changes would mean.
Mr Lord said nursing would have a changed delivery model but people would still be able to study in the Wimmera.
‘‘We are making it more flexible for people to access education within their own region and access course and tutorial support online, with telephone support and online support,’’ he said.