[author]Luis Feliu[/author]
New training facilities and a lecture theatre for nurses at Murwillumbah District Hospital’s education campus were officially opened on Monday.
Richmond MP Justine Elliot opened the third stage of the hospital’s education and accommodation campus, in the old nurses quarters, which now includes a clinical unit for skills and simulation as well as the lecture theatre.
The facility is a collaboration of a number of universities, health authorities and various local community groups and individuals.
Mrs Elliot said the federal government was committed to training more doctors, nurses and allied health professionals ‘where we need them.
‘This facility has been made possible through the more than $500,000 investment made by the federal government in the University Department of Rural Health.
‘Through the federal government’s commitment to improving health services in rural and regional areas, an additional 7,500 clinical placement days have been made available in Richmond.’
Helping recruitment
She said the campus project has been successful in providing the services and infrastructure needed to support the needs of students, clinicians, patients, and the local community.
‘Projects such as this aim at supporting the recruitment and retention of health professional by providing local education facilities. Through federal government initiatives like Health Workforce Australia and the Regional Health Strategy we are ensuring that training occurs closer to where patients live.’
The education campus was opened at the hospital in 2001, one of 11 similar centres in rural Australian providing improved access for further education for local health workers.
Image: Murwillumbah District Hospital education and training campus students Kate Millany and Lucas Bailey show Richmond MP Justine Elliot some of the new high-tech simulation equipment.
