Nurses from Kingscliff TAFE celebrate graduation

A new cohort of Diploma of Nursing graduates from TAFE NSW Kingscliff has just completed their training, says TAFE, ‘entering the workforce at a crucial time as Australia faces a projected shortfall of 70,000 nurses by 2035’.

The media release reads, ‘These graduates completed part of their training in the cutting-edge Learning, Development and Research Building at the Tweed Valley hospital, gaining over 400 hours of hands-on clinical experience overall. Many have already secured local employment, helping strengthen the North Coast health workforce’.

‘The students celebrated their achievement at a graduation ceremony attended by families, TAFE NSW educators and industry representatives from the Local Health District. Over the 18-month course, each student completed more than 400 hours of clinical placement across multiple healthcare settings including at various aged care facilities and medical, surgical, mental health and palliative care wards at Tweed Valley and Byron Central Hospitals.

‘For 23-year-old graduate Carter Smith, completing placements in a hospital setting brought his training to life and helped him build confidence in his skills.

‘The hands-on learning at TAFE NSW made a huge difference,’ he said. ‘Most of our placements were right across the road at Tweed Valley Hospital, so everything we learned in the simulation labs at TAFE NSW clicked into place. Our class was a tight group, and the teachers were always there to support us, we never felt like we were doing it alone.’

The media release reads, ‘Located on the Tweed Valley Hospital campus, the cutting edge LDR Building features immersive simulation labs, skills rooms, research spaces, a library, and collaborative learning hubs. It forms part of the Northern NSW Academic Health Alliance, which brings together TAFE NSW, Griffith University, Southern Cross University, Bond University and the Northern NSW Local Health District to deliver integrated clinical education’.