Graduate Nurses

At Central Highlands Rural Health (CHRH) we are committed to supporting the clinical learning and development of Graduate nurses through well supported clinical experience rotations within our acute, sub-acute and aged care units, and community aged care services.

Within all clinical experience rotations you will work with and be supervised by our highly committed and dedicated Nursing team members (Clinical Coaches), in a supportive environment for the consolidation and further development of knowledge, skills and behaviours/practices, preparing you for future career opportunities.

We understand that transitioning from a student nurse to a practising nurse can sometimes be daunting. We offer our Graduate Nurse Program on a part-time basis – 64 hours per fortnight (0.8EFT), to enable work life balance.

We currently offer six (6) Graduate Nurse Positions across CHRH.

Our program focuses on caring for older persons given our demographic – our median age is 50 in Hepburn Shire and 42 in Macedon Ranges Shire. Our population aged 65+ years is approximately 23.8% in Hepburn Shire and 17 % in Macedon Ranges Shire (source: 2016 Census).

Given our geographic location & partnership approach, we partner with Ballarat Health Service for additional clinical experiences, & for COOPs formal education opportunities aligned to a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology – if you choose to enrol in Post Graduate studies.

Your Learning Map across our 52 week program will include the following:

Paid study days help you to further refine your knowledge & skills as you grow & develop your experience as a Registered Nurse.

We offer clinical experience rotations at the following locations, including opportunities with our strategic program partners:

• Creswick Health (Sub Acute)
• Creswick Residential Aged Care
• Daylesford Health (Acute and Aged Care)
• Kyneton Health (Acute)
  
• Trentham Residential Aged Care
  
• Ballarat Health Service (program partner – Acute)

You are able to indicate your preferred clinical preferences in your online application and during the interview process.

We endeavour to match your preferences where possible, however there are some areas of our health service that are very popular and demand can be high for these positions. Due to the size of our graduate program, not all preferences can be guaranteed.

If you do have particular interests, we encourage you to find out more about the area by speaking with our Organisation Development Manager.

There will be opportunities to do this prior to commencing with us.

Please aim to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to your shift commencing.

Although a very normal part of the nursing profession, you will not be rostered to work night shifts i.e. 2130 – 0730 during your graduate year. Nor will you be designated “Nurse in Charge”. We value you and your ongoing development and will not put you in a position where you could feel out of your depth or working beyond your scope of practice/confidence if a major issue/event were to arise. Instead, we have the designated Nurse in Charge shadow you to ensure appropriate support, mentoring and coaching mechanisms are in place.

Additional information is provided in contracts of employment.

We recommend you become familiar with the EBA under which you’re employed. Upon commencement, you can locate it on our Intranet.

We are pleased to be able to offer “short term” accommodation across the street from the Daylesford Hospital and at Creswick, in collaboration with The University of Melbourne “Going Rural Health” Program. 

We utilise this accommodation for team members who are impacted by shift combinations of late/early if travel is an issue for example, and on an as needed basis, via negotiation with the Organisation Development Manager and (Health Service) Unit Manager.

Further information is available prior to and/or upon commencement.

Our Graduate Nurse Program offers you the opportunity to practice in a supportive environment that will facilitate your transition to the role of Registered Nurse and allows you to build upon your knowledge, skills and practices/behaviours in the delivery of person centred care and personal development.

Prior to Commencement

Before you commence your graduate program you will receive the relevant learning packages to gain an understanding of your allocated clinical area as part of your preparation.

Organisation Development Manager

The Organisation Development Manager is responsible for the overall running of all the Graduate Nurse Program at Central Highlands Rural Health, including recruitment and selection for the program, allocation of rotations, confirmation of study days, ensuring completion of competencies and performance development discussions tools.

Nursing Teams

The nursing teams are made up of Graduate Nurses, junior and senior Grade 2 Registered Nurses (RN), Enrolled Nurses (EN), Associate Nurse Unit Managers (ANUM) and a Nurse Unit Manager (NUM).

Due to the culture and nature of Central Highlands Rural Health all members of the nursing team are expected to provide support to one another and work as a close-knit team. On days when you are not working with your Clinical Coach, other team members are available if you require assistance.

Clinical Coach

A Clinical Coach is an experienced nurse working within a clinical area who acts as a role model and resource person for new nurses.

Each Graduate is assigned a Clinical Coach during each rotation. Your Clinical Coach will assist in your orientation to the health service and clinical area, support your development as a nurse, and provide feedback on your progress.

Clinical Support Nurses

Our Clinical Support Nurses (CSNs) rotate across our Creswick, Daylesford and Trentham campuses. They’re available to support and educate all nursing staff who work within clinical areas. An important part of their role is to facilitate education programs within Nursing Education.

Supernumerary Time

As part of your unit orientation, supernumerary time with one of your Clinical Coaches will be provided and varied according to your individual needs.

Clinical Objectives

Clinical objectives/hurdles will be set throughout the year to ensure you meet general goals as a registered nurse. Unit specific objectives will also ensure you meet the clinical needs of specific clinical areas.

1:1 Check-ins and Career Coaching

Our Organisation Development Manager will schedule 1:1 catch-ups with you via phone and/or in person, towards the end of each week, during the first two weeks of each of your rotations with Hepburn Health. This is to ensure as smooth a transition as possible so that any questions you have from a personal and/or an organisational perspective, can be addressed. Please note – you don’t need to wait for the scheduled check-in.

The Organisation Development Manager will also provide career coaching if you would like to discuss your career aspirations and map out a career plan.

Graduate Support Forums

We recommend graduates to attend bi-monthly, informal and confidential support meetings. It is an opportunity for graduates to catch up, debrief and support one another.

Graduate Support Forums are facilitated by the Organisation Development Manager who can assist to resolve any issues if they arise and allows for information to be disseminated.

Multidisciplinary Teams

Throughout the year you will work closely with multidisciplinary team members which include medical staff, physiotherapists, dieticians, pharmacists, occupational and speech therapists who are familiar with the challenges facing staff who are new to Hepburn Health.

Annual Leave

We encourage you to negotiate periods of annual leave with the respective Nurse Unit Managers in between each rotation, or as required, as per your entitlement. Annual leave cannot be taken at Easter or at Christmas/New Year. 

Benefits of Working with Central Highlands Rural Health

Central Highlands Rural Health team members can access a great range of workplace benefits and discounts. Details can be found on our Employee Benefits page by clicking here, and you will be provided with further information upon commencement.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Our EAP is a confidential service free to all staff and eligible family members, paid for by Central Highlands Rural Health at no cost to you. If you require assistance dealing with personal, family or work issues, qualified counsellors can assist employees and family members to identify problems and find ways to resolve them.

You will receive more information on this upon commencement with Central Highlands Rural Health.

Once you complete your Graduate Nurse Program with us, you have numerous career options available to you. These include the following:

• Apply for an ongoing CHRH full time or part time position if one is available
• Register as a casual CHRH employee 
• Seek employment with another health service provider

Go to https://computermatching.pmcv.com.au & register for an account

Check your eligibility criteria

Note: PMCV is a matching service only, not a portal for receiving applications. Applications are to be made directly to Central Highlands Rural Health

Your application to Central Highlands Rural Health must include:

• One-page cover letter outlining your reasons for applying to Central Highlands Rural Health & what you bring to the Graduate Nurse role
• Concise resume (of no more than 3 pages) with relevant employment experience & dates & locations of undergraduate clinical placements (include future placements)
• Current contact details & email addresses of 2 professional referees. 1 must be a supervisor from a clinical placement within the last 6 months
• 2 most recent clinical appraisals. Include cover page with placement location & dates. Maximum 10 pages per appraisal
• Most recent official transcript of results with codes

A list of clinical experience rotation preferences, from 1 (most preferred) to 5 (least preferred), based on our campuses & services offered at each. You will experience an Acute & an Aged Care rotation, with 1 other, to be determined based on a number of factors

Submit your application to: graduate-nursing@chrh.org.au 

CHRH reserve the right to accept applications beyond this date in relation to any unmatched positions