Pilbara Universities Centre set to provide solutions to region’s nursing shortages through residential schools

A Pilbara Universities Centre educator says nursing residential schools are needed to help resolve longstanding workforce shortages. Now in its second year, PUC is set to deliver seven face-to-face residential schools at the simulated nursing facility at the Pundulmurra TAFE in South Hedland from March. The residential program enables Pilbara-based students who might otherwise experience educational inequity due to factors related to living in remote regions to complete their Bachelor of Nursing qualifications. PUC nursing support officer Marisa Ralph said the program provided an easier avenue for those wanting to study nursing. “Nursing is an in-demand career but it’s very hard to become a nurse especially if you live rurally or remotely just because it’s such a practical subject that you need to have facilities close by where you could do your practicums,” she said, “For many students, travelling to big cities in order to fulfil the requirements is just very difficult because a lot of our students are mothers with children and they’re primary carers. “It’s absolutely needed — the challenges of completing the practicum of a nursing degree is very hard and it’s what stops a lot of people undertaking nursing in the first place.” With the skills shortages across the nation, PUC chief executive Susan Grylls said the program could not have come at a better time. “It benefits the health system because what we’re doing is we’re building a local pipeline to solve a local issue and no one is as invested in the local problem as the local community,” she said. “We’re working strongly with the WA Country Health Service to ensure that our nurses are integrated within the nursing community as soon as they can to get great practical experience and also to build a network of support.” PUC currently has more than 30 nursing students studying across the region through its partner universities CQUniversity and Charles Darwin University.