SOUTH WEST HEALTHCARE

2010 Graduate Nurse Program

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION

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Welcome to South West Healthcare’s 2010 Graduate Nurse Program. The education team is looking forward to working with you as beginning practitioners at this exciting and challenging time of your career. We trust you will gain valuable insight into the workings of the healthcare system while being able to apply the knowledge developed at university to clinical practice. This booklet is designed to provide helpful information to set you on your way to becoming a valued member of the healthcare team at South West Healthcare. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact one of the education team. We look forward to seeing you all next year. Jenice Smart Education Manager

2010 South West Healthcare

Graduate Nurse Program

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INDEX

Aims of Graduate Year Page 4

Objectives of the Program Page 4

Format of the Program Page 5

Education Page 5

Study Days Page 5

Sick Leave Page 6

Annual Leave Page 6

Night Duty Page 6

Registration Certificates Page 7

Rosters Page 7

Unit Managers & Education Team Pages 8-9

Orientation Week Pages 10-12

Planned Study days and In-service Program Page 13

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Aim of the Graduate Nurse Program

Welcome to the 2010 Graduate Nurse Program at South West Healthcare Warrnambool (SWH). At SWH we believe in providing a highly supportive environment that encourages professional development and excellence in nursing care. Our aim is to provide graduates with clinical support during the transition from student to Registered Nurse, whilst encouraging self directed learning. The program provides Graduate Nurses with the opportunity to consolidate and apply theoretical knowledge, while developing skills in a variety of settings. South West Healthcare will provide support to Graduate Nurses via Clinical Preceptors, Unit Managers, Clinical Support Nurses, Clinical Educators and the Education Manager. Graduates rostered to the regional hospitals will have educational support from SWH. Direct clinical support will be provided by the individual regional hospital.

Objectives of the Graduate Nurse Program

♦ To provide an opportunity to consolidate and extend experience in the delivery of holistic patient care

♦ To assist the Graduate with identifying their own learning needs

♦ To facilitate the Graduate to become an effective member of the South West Healthcare team

♦ To encourage collaborative relations with other health care professionals

♦ To encourage reflective practice and critical thinking skills in relation to practice

♦ To provide effective feedback and encouragement

♦ To provide a forum for the graduates to network with each other and share experiences and ideas

♦ To achieve competency of core clinical skills

♦ To promote professional accountability and responsibility inherent in the role of the professional nurse.

♦ To promote accountability for ongoing Professional Development

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Graduate year format The Graduate Nurse year at SWH is a 52-week program. Graduates are employed to work full time or part time. Graduates will have an opportunity to gain experience in a number of settings during the year within SWH. Preferences for rotations is sought from graduates during the interview and confirmed at a later date. Every effort will be made to match graduates with their preferences. Regional rotations may be negotiated.

Education/Study Days

Regular in-service/debriefing sessions will be conducted regularly throughout the year for graduate nurses. These sessions will be focused toward clinical conditions/skills that you will encounter on the wards. Graduates are also welcome to attend other in-service education around the hospital provided it suites the clinical area you are working in.

You will be allocated 7 paid study leave days throughout the year on various topics, such as

• Clinical skills

• Clinical/patient assessment

• Medical based study day

• Surgical based study day

• Professional Development Further study days are available on negotiation with education team and Unit Managers, such as ALS & ECG interpretation. Study Leave – It is your responsibility to request study leave on the roster. The topics for these days and dates are yet to be confirmed but a provisional calendar is available at the back of this booklet and dates will be confirmed during your orientation week.

Learning packages have been developed which you are required to complete throughout the year. Each package relates to clinical conditions you may encounter within the clinical environment. You will learn more about these during your orientation week.

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Sick Leave

You are entitled to paid sick leave throughout the year. This generally entitles you to 3 uncertificated single days. For longer periods of leave, a certificate is required and leave is generally granted on a pro-rata basis. A certificate is either required from your treating doctor or in the form of a statutory declaration to be attached to your pay sheet. When ringing in for sick leave, the Clinical Co-ordinator must be contacted (through the switchboard on 55631666). Do not ring the ward you are working on and leave a message. It is a courtesy to notify the co-ordinator ASAP of your intention to take sick leave so suitable replacement of staff can be arranged. Generally, notification of an hour before the morning shift commences and 2 hours before the evening and night shift is appreciated or you may be deducted pay for the shift if notification is inadequate.

Annual Leave

You are entitled to 6 weeks annual leave during the year (for full time staff). This may be negotiated with your relevant unit manager after your first rotation. Application for leave forms need to be filled out at least 6 weeks in advance of intention to take leave. Leave approval is dependant on staffing levels and will need to be negotiated. Three weeks annual leave is granted about 6 months into your contract. Those rotating in from or out to regional hospitals at the 6 month changeover will be paid out for leave if it is not utilised (you need to notify pay office that you are changing contracts so they can work out how many days annual leave you have accumulated, don’t assume it will be 3 weeks or you may find your pay packet a little light). The remaining 3 weeks can be taken at the completion of your program, after negotiation with the unit manager concerned, or you may choose to be paid out.

Night Duty

In some rotations a short period of night duty may be required. Every attempt is taken not to roster those concerned to night duty in the first 3 months of your employment. Night duty is usually a 2 week period.

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Registration Certificates

It is a requirement of South West Healthcare that we sight your registration certificate prior to commencement of employment. It is suggested that when you receive your registration certificate, you bring it to the Clinical Management Centre for photocopying purposes. If unable to bring it prior to commencing employment, bring it on your first day (February 1st). Failure to do so will result in your inability to work and be paid.

Roster Requests

The first week of the Program is set out for you and you will not need to worry about requests for this week (this is the final week of a roster period). However, you will be responsible for following roster requests. Your first full roster commences on February 8th, 2010. If you have specific requests for this roster, contact Mick or Vik by January the 18th. After this, requests for future rosters are to be made by you by the end of the first week of the current working roster.

Extra Tip The Graduate Nurse Program is a demanding year which requires your total commitment. Enthusiasm and motivation in graduate nurses are highly sort after qualities and part of the reason SWH chose you for our Graduate Nurse Program. So, we suggest you take time out to relax and enjoy your holiday before commencing your employment with us as we expect you to maintain these qualities right throughout your graduate year and beyond.

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Jenice Smart Education Manager: 556311633 pager 633 Email- jsmart@swh.net.au

Caroline Polack Nurse Teacher 5531562 pager 649 Email- cpolack@swh.net.au

Vikki Hoy Clinical Support Nurse: 55631288 pager 635 Email- vhoy@swh.net.au

Mick Edwards Clinical Support Nurse: 55631288 pager 634 Email- medwards@swh.net.au

Cindy Joseph Critical Care Facilitator: 55631466 pager 466 Email- cjoseph@swh.net.au

Sue Anderton: General Education 55644053 Email- sanderton@swh.net.au

Toni-Ann Mclennan: Clinical Support Nurse Camperdown: ph 55937300 Email- tmclennan@swh.net.au

Sue Anderton (Education), Mick Edwards (CSN), Jenice Smart (Education Manager), Vikki Hoy (CSN), Caroline Pollack (Nurse Educator) Cindy Joseph (Critical care) absent

EDUCATION TEAM

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Surgical ward: Jenny Rowe 55631657 Email: jrowe@swh.net.au Acute Medical/Surgical: Jill Hallinan 55631477 Email: jhallinan@swh.net.au Medical/Palliative care: John Quinlivan 556311682 Email: jquinlivan@swh.net.au Rehabilitation: Helen Moyle 55631451 Email: hmoyle@swh.net.au Operating Theatre: Ricky Piper: 55631663 Email: rpiper@swh.net.au District Nursing Service: Lisa Brooks: 55644170 Email: lbrooks@swh.net.au Emergency Department: Kate Sloan: 55631457 Email: ksloan@swh.net.au Camperdown: SWHC Camperdown Campus: Rodney Jubb: 55937300 Email: rjubb@swh.net.au

UNIT MANAGERS

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Orientation week commences at 0800hrs on Monday the 1st of February. All Graduates are required at South West Healthcare on this day. Graduates rostered to regional hospitals are also required to attend SWH on Tuesday 2nd and the 9th of February at 0800hrs for the skills day.

Monday 1st February

0800-0815 Welcome to SWH

0815-0915 Overview of Graduate Nurse Program

Introduction of the teams and their roles Expectations

0915-0945hrs Games in Healthcare

0945-1000hrs Morning Tea

1000-1200hrs Speed Presenting: 1000-1020 Graham Mitchell 1020-1035 Trevor Roberts 1035-1055 Karen Harrison 1055-1100 Interval 1100-1115 Louise Uzkuraitis 1115-1130 Brian Dillon, 1130-1145 Chantal Rayner 1145-1200 Jenice Smart

1200-1300hrs Lunch: Director of Nursing & Deputy Director of Nursing

1300-1345hrs Consent Caroline Pollack

1345-1400hrs ANF Jenny Charles

1400-1530hrs Orientation Around Hospital & Afternoon Tea

1530-1600hrs Q&A, Uniforms

Graduate Nurse Orientation Week

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Tuesday 2nd

of February

0800-0845hhrs

Customer Service/Risk Man Karen Harrison

0845-0930hrs Documentation: Confidentiality Michelle Atkinson

0930-0945hrs Morning Tea

0945-1115hrs Wound Care Terry Swanson

1130-1215hrs Documentation: Medication Safety Caroline Polack

1215-1230hrs Surviving the Grad Year: Tara Lee Blain

1230-1300hrs Lunch

1300-1600hrs Skills Sessions: IVT Blood products CPR & MET Administration Issues Infection Control Venipunture & Specimen labelling

Wednesday 3rd

of February

Orientation to Ward Full shift on allocated ward as rostered

Thursday 4th

of February

Orientation to Ward Full shift on allocated ward as rostered

Friday 5th

of February

Orientation to Ward Morning Shift on allocated ward.

1230-1300hrs Human Resources

1300-1430hrs Online Fire & Safety

1430-1515hrs Questions

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Tuesday 9th

of February

0800-0845hrs Accessing intranet emails/policies/paging Caroline Polack

O845-0900hrs Medtrak Jeanette O’Grady

0900-1000hrs Documentation Part Three: Admissions

1000-1015hrs Morning Tea

1015-1100hrs Death & Dying Patients Bev Quinn

1100-1200hrs No Lift Jenice Smart

1200-1245hrs Lunch

1245-1315hrs Staff relations Trish

1315 -1600hrs Skills Session: Report Writing (Jenice) Central Line Management (Caroline) Chest Pain/ECG (Mick) Diabetic Management (Maree) Medication Scenario’s (Vikki)

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Planned Study Days & In-service Sessions

The Study days and in-service program is currently under review and will be confirmed during your orientation week. The seven study days are mandatory and therefore set out for you. The education board located outside the Clinical Management Centre advertises local and metropolitan seminars/study days. If you require further study leave, please refer to page 5 of this booklet.

February 9th Clinical Skills

February 12th Patient Assessment

March 17th Immediate Life Support/Deteriorating Patient

April 19th Nursing Update

April 20th Surgical Study Day

May 25th Medical Day July 28th Advanced Patient Assessment

November 16th Professional Development November 17th Advanced Life Support (Optional-in own time)

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