News
Training Boost For Queensland Student Nurses & Young Doctors |
| Spokesperson: | Minister for Health - Hon Stephen Robertson |
| Date: | Wednesday, 10 May 2006 |
| Category: | State Health News |
| Training positions for student nurses and graduate medical students in Queensland will be significantly increased, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today. Mr Robertson told State Parliament that Queensland Health will immediately: • Double the number of Diploma of Nursing (Pre-Enrolment) placements for student nurses at Queensland TAFE's; • Create additional medical internships in public hospitals for trainee doctors following graduation from Queensland universities. "The Beattie Government is conscious of the need to increase the number of training positions available for graduate medical students and student nurses in Queensland. "And we're doing something about it," he said. Mr Robertson said Queensland Health will spend an extra $730,500 each year in recurrent funding on the clinical placement of Diploma of Nursing (Pre-Enrolment) nursing students. "This will enable Queensland Health to double its annual clinical placement of nursing students at TAFE from the current 150 places to 300 places each year. "This initiative will help further boost nursing numbers in Queensland and it reflects the government's ongoing commitment to improving nursing recruitment and retention." Mr Robertson said the state government was also increasing the number of Queensland Health intern-training positions available for medical graduates following university. "310 medical students are expected to graduate from Queensland universities during 2006 compared to 284 students last year. "Queensland Health will provide 362 medical internships in 2007 to accommodate this new intake of trainee doctors entering the health system for the first time. "This ensures every Queensland medical graduate will have access to on-the-job training in our public hospitals under the supervision of senior doctors. "The 362 internships we are offering for 2007 builds upon the 319 positions provided this year and the 259 internships funded by Queensland Health in 2005." Queensland Health will commence offering the 362 internships to graduating medical students in July. Mr Robertson said the State Government was also planning for the future to meet the training needs of Queensland medical graduates entering the health system in 2008 and beyond. "Queensland Health is working with the AMA, the medical colleges and our universities to develop a new strategy to ensure we have the training infrastructure and internships necessary to accommodate increased medical graduate numbers. "We're also developing a new intern-training model to ensure a more coordinated approach to training and more consistency in the competency of graduating medical students prior to them commencing their internship," he said. |
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