Nurses working in the Riverina will be able to complete their nursing degrees while working in their communities thanks to a collaborative program between Charles Sturt University (CSU), Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) and the Riverina Institute of TAFE. Thirty Enrolled Nurses with the GSAHS will upgrade their qualifications to Registered Nurse by enrolling in the CSU Bachelor of Nursing in 2008. To prepare them for their studies via distance education, they are participating in a two day workshop funded by the GSAHS at the University’s Wagga Wagga Campus on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 July. Workshop organiser Heather Latham says this successful partnership between CSU and GSAHS is helping address the critical shortage of qualified nurses in regional Australia and the Riverina. This group will join the 35 GSAHS nurses who commenced their CSU degrees earlier this year.