16 November 2006

Minister congratulates St. George HSC nursing grads

Minister for Health John Hatzistergos and Member for Georges River Kevin Greene today congratulated local HSC students graduating from the Nursing in Schools program at St George Hospital.

The first group of 19 students - mostly from St George and Sutherland Shire schools - successfully completed Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the two-year course.

Congratulating the graduates, Mr Hatzistergos said the Nursing Studies Program provided a new direction for Year 11 and year 12 students planning a career in nursing.

"Students will be gaining employment skills with credit towards their HSC and the opportunity to experience what working as a nurse is really like," Mr Hatzistergos said.

"They can get valuable work experience in clinical environment before they enrol full-time at TAFE or university.

"St George Hospital first offered their program in 2005 and all students enrolled in the course have indicated their intention to continue their nursing studies at University next year."

Mr Hatzistergos said that similar nursing vocational education and training in schools programs have also expanded in Sydney's west and south west with 145 students now enrolled to do nursing at school in 2007.

"In just 15 months, the Iemma Government has introduced new and innovative ways of showing nursing as an attractive and fulfilling career for our young people," he said

"The pilot program in south western Sydney has proven so successful that 80 per cent of students have remained in the nursing workforce."

Member for Rockdale and Minister for Planning Frank Sartor said the program was a great opportunity for local students thinking of taking up nursing as a career.

"I congratulate these students for their dedication and interest in such a rewarding profession," he said.

Member for Georges River Kevin Greene said nursing as an HSC subject was growing in popularity each year.

"It's been so successful that 38 local students have now been accepted for 2007," he said.

Mr Hatzistergos said Nursing in Schools is part of the Iemma Government's successful strategy in recruiting and retaining nurses with a record number, over 40,700 nurses, now working in NSW public hospitals, an increase of 6,740 since 2002.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au