Career Development

Western Health is committed to the career development of our employees.

Upon commencement, all employees receive a position description. This provides employees with an understanding of their role and is the reference point for their annual performance review and development meeting with their manager. This meeting provides for two-way feedback, discussion regarding the employees career goals and agreement upon a development and training plan.

Western Health aims to provide work based education and training for Western Health staff, students and external applicants which will support excellence in practice and career progression opportunities. Our approach to education seeks to promote the engagement of students and staff and the empowerment of patients. We are pursuing multi-disciplinary approaches, patient-centred care and lifelong learning.  

At Western Health there are various educational/professional development programs available to develop our employees' careers:

Continuing Education

Western Health offers continuing education courses with the aim of enabling the healthcare workforce to maintain current skills and knowledge and foster professional development and expertise.

All programs utilise the services of suitably qualified and vocationally experienced educators and clinicians and cover a wide variety of clinical and professional topics. Programs range in duration from half a day to two days and are competitively priced.

Western Health eLearn  provides you with an opportunity to access training online at work or at home. There are a number of courses which you may enrol online.

CLICK HERE  for more information or contact the Centre For Education on (03)8345 6328.

Graduate Nurse / Midwife Programs

Graduate Nurse Program

Our Graduate Nurse Program aims to facilitate the continuing development of the beginning practitioner of nursing, in a learning organisation. During this program graduates are supported by the clinical expertise of their colleagues, graduate support nurses, clinical educators, preceptors, and graduate mentors. It is a structured program of paid study days and debriefing sessions that focus on clinical decision-making, patient management and professional practice. CLICK HERE  for more details or contact the Centre For Education on (03) 8345 6097.

Graduate Midwife Program

The Graduate Midwifery Program comprises a 52 week program giving newly graduated midwives the opportunity to develop and consolidate their knowledge and skills in midwifery care. The benefits of this program include clinical rotations, which encompass high and low risk maternity care and special care nursery, working in a collaborative model of maternity care, and team midwifery. The first two weeks of program are supernumerary, we also offer supernumerary time prior to new rotations, a team of midwifery educations and clinical midwife consultants guide the clinical setting, and the Program Co-ordinator supports, counsels and mentors graduate midwives throughout the program. CLICK HERE  for more details or contact the Centre For Education on (03) 8345 1061.

Combined Graduate Program

The combined graduate nurse and midwife program provides the newly registered nurse/midwife with dynamic learning opportunities to consolidate their undergraduate general nursing and midwifery knowledge. The program offers a comprehensive orientation to both general nursing and midwifery health services and aims to facilitate the transition of the new graduate nurse/midwife from novice practitioner to that of a competent member of the Western Health care team.

The graduate will be supported by the experienced preceptors in the ward area as well as graduate nurse/midwife specific educators. The graduate will consolidate their skills and knowledge with a four month rotation in the general nursing area as well as eight months within the diverse midwifery service offered by Western Health. CLICK HERE  for more details or contact the Centre For Education on (03) 8345 6097 or 8345 1061.

Nurse Discovery Program

The Discovery Program is a comprehensive professional development program aimed at supporting the Registered Nurse, Division 1 in the transition to working within the specialty areas.  

 

The Discovery Program offers six month placements in the following areas:

The program runs twice a year with the new intakes in January and July.

CLICK HERE  for more information or contact the Centre for Education on (03) 8345 6328.

Postgraduate Education

Western Health in partnership with respected Victorian Universities, offers postgraduate programs for nurses interested in developing their knowledge and skills in specialty nursing practice.

The program will include:

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Nursing
    (Adult Acute Care)     with specialties in Cardiac Care,
    Critical Care, Emergency, Perioperative
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Midwifery 
  • Master of Nursing (any speciality)

CLICK HERE  for more information or contact the Centre For Education on (03)8345 6328.

Return to Practice / Refresher Programs

The Return to Practice Program is available for nurses who are not currently registered with the Nurses Board of Victoria in Divisions 1 & 2.

The Refresher Program is for registered nurses in Division 1 & 2 who would like to return to the acute nursing environment with an update in skills, and knowledge.

Western Health offers well supported Refresher and Return to Practice programs consisting of a theoretical education component and supervised clinical practice within an acute environment that will assist you back to acute nursing with confidence. At the completion of the programs participants would be eligible to apply for nursing vacancies within the Western Health Network.

CLICK HERE  for more information or contact the Centre For Education on (03) 8345 6097.

Clinical Nurse Specialists

At Western Health all Registered Nurses Division 1 who have either specific post basic qualifications and 12 months' experience working in the clinical area of their specified post basic qualification and is responsible for clinical nursing duties, or a minimum of four years' post registration experience including three years' experience in the relevant specialist field; and can demonstrate a high level of clinical skill, professional behaviour and professional development are encouraged to apply for advancement to the classification of Clinical Nurse Specialist. Applications are sought twice a year in April and October.

Nurse Practitioners

Western Health is a leader in promoting and establishing nurse practitioner roles. The Nurse Practitioner Resource centre website provides general information on identifying potential nurse practitioner models of practice suitable for implementation at Western Health. A two part application process has been developed for parties interested in establishing a nurse practitioner model of practice. Additionally, the website contains information on masters courses, pharmacology modules and DHS funding opportunities.

Medical Interns

We have a dedicated Director of Postgraduate Education who will work in conjunction with appropriate supervisors to ensure that the education needs of our Medical Interns are met. Senior Staff and Supervisors provide continuing support and mid and end of term feedback occurs for all interns in all units. Also, weekly tutorials provide informal tuition and address common clinical / management problems. For more details either go to the Education and Training section of this website or contact the Centre For Education on (03) 8345 6521.

Hospital Medical Officers and Registrars

For our Hospital Medical Officers and Registrars we offer clinical rotations tailored to the individual. Western Health offers a range of excellent training programs across all specialities. Junior Medical Officers have the opportunity to rotate through all three hospitals (or an external hospital depending on career interests), as well as, rotations through Drug and Alcohol, Psychiatry and Paediatrics. For more details either go to the Education and Training section of this website or contact the Centre For Education on (03) 8345 6521 for matters relating to Education. Please refer to the Medical Career Opportunities  section in the Website for information regarding rotations etc.

Allied Health New Graduate Program

The Allied Health Graduate Program has been designed to assist the transition from a student to clinician. Additionally, the provision of information specific to their role as a graduate clinician, will hopefully enable them to complete their job more efficiently and in a rewarding way. The Allied Health Graduate Program has been designed to be consistent with the Mission, Values and Strategic Themes of the Western Health Service and is run in conjunction with the other programs directed at new staff. These include orientation to the organisation and discipline orientation. This program is open to all new Allied Health graduates employed at WH.

Pharmacy Interns

The Pharmacy Intern Program involves interns being rotated through key areas of the department, including Sunshine and Williamstown Hospital.

At the beginning of the year, an intensive clinical and manufacturing training week is conducted in preparation for their three to four week rotations. Interns are supervised by a network of experienced pharmacists who offer invaluable training to help interns achieve competency and learning objectives as described in our in-house competency framework. Highly interactive weekly tutorial sessions are given, which are designed to develop practical, communication skills and extend knowledge of both hospital and community pharmacy practice. The program also includes observation at various committee meetings and intensive exams preparation. There are also many opportunities to engage in sporting and social activities outside of the work environment. For more details contact the Pharmacy Intern Coordinator on (03) 8345 6435.