The graduation of 17 Bachelor of Nursing students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo will give local health services a shot in the arm as every student has taken up work in the region.
Nursing Lecturer, Ms Maryanne Podham, from CSU's School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, said the fact all 17 graduating students had accepted work offers in the local area underlined the contribution CSU was making to regional health services.
"Charles Sturt University in Dubbo has provided a lot of nurses over the years; quality nurses who are well regarded in the industry," she said.
"We find a lot of our graduates work for a year or two and then go on to specialise by studying midwifery through the University as well."
Academic advisor, Ms Catherine Maginnis, said the University's nursing graduates were highly sought-after.
"Each of our graduating students this year secured full-time work before graduation," she said.
"This is the 11th cohort of nursing graduates from Charles Sturt University in Dubbo and that 100 per cent graduate employment rate has applied to every graduating class.
"Our students are highly sought-after, and that’s reflected in the number of graduates we see working in local health services.
"This year we’ll have graduates working in Wellington, Orange, Coonabarabran and Coonamble, as well as a large proportion who have taken up work at Dubbo Base Hospital.
"Many of our nursing graduates over the past 11 years have gone on to work at the Base Hospital and they get great support and postgraduate training there."
Dubbo Base Hospital deputy director of nursing, Ms Leonie Beashel, said local nursing graduates were a valuable resource for regional health services.
"It's important to encourage the people you train locally to stay in the area and work in rural and regional services," she said.
"At the hospital, we really go out of our way to accommodate local graduates and we have a really good retention rate of nurses who undertake their postgraduate year here and then choose to stay on.
"They get good support and training, broad experience and the hospital and local health district benefit as well."
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