Nursing Clinical Placement Support
In 2010, the University launched a support program which will provide nursing students with financial assistance to encourage rural and remote clinical placements.
Since 1990 the USQ School of Nursing and Midwifery has provided teaching and training to more than 4,000 nursing students. Over the past 20 years, USQ nursing enrolments have continued to increase, with more than 1,300 student nurses currently enrolled in a range of nursing programs.
This year another 370 students will fulfil their dreams of becoming a caregiver, a listener, a learner, a friend, an educator, a team player and a moderator... the backbone of healthcare, a nurse!
A Bachelor of Nursing takes 3 years to complete, with almost half of the student contact time devoted to clinical practice. This important practice component takes place mostly outside the University in settings such as large general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, smaller country hospitals, nursing homes, community health services, special clinics and rehabilitation centres.
'I am a full time student at University of Southern Queensland, entering my third and final year of a Bachelor of Nursing degree. I enjoy the program, facilities and friendly staff and students. The Campus is a great learning environment. I love meeting new and exciting students from around the world and showing them all USQ and Toowoomba has to offer. USQ is a great environment to learn, have fun and make good friends'. Tamika (USQ Nursing Student)
Clinical placements
A rural or remote clinical placement for a nursing student provides substantial benefit for the student, for the health service providing the placement and indeed for the rural or remote community.
In 2009, our nursing students:
- provided over 180,000 hours of clinical placement time
- were placed with 240 different healthcare providers throughout Queensland
- travelled over 250,000 kilometres to attend a clinical placement.
Very often, the students are individuals who came from these areas and are studying nursing with a view to having a career in rural communities where nurses are always needed. A large number of students on these crucial placements must pay for their accommodation and meals, as well as travel to and from remote areas. When this happens they are away from their normal part-time work, unable to earn income and they still have to pay their bills and sometimes support families. This puts enormous financial pressure on USQ students, can increase the burden on local institutions for positions, leads to fewer students seeking placements in rural or remote areas, and in some cases delays or stops completion of a nursing degree.
'My classmate and I completed our Community Clinical Placement on Mornington Island, in the Gulf of
Carpentaria. The cost of getting there was our responsibility, but was worth it to experience and see how
remote area nurses work and live. The most important lessons of the placement were that remote area
nurses need to be versatile, flexible and skilled in many areas.'
Crystal (USQ Bachelor of Nursing Graduate)
So what can you do?
Your gift can make the difference between a student staying or quitting. Your tax deductible donation* to the USQ Nursing Clinical Placement Fund is really an investment in skilling and training future nurses, ensuring every student who dreams to be a nurse... can.
Large or small, your gift will ensure more nursing students can complete their training and start their career in caring for thousands of people across Queensland. You can make that difference by completing the donation form (PDF 95 KB) today.
'At the beginning of my second year I completed 2 weeks clinical placement at Charleville Hospital. Whilst on this placement, I had the great fortune to discover the direction in which I wanted to pursue a career, as a rural nurse and midwife. Although this placement added a considerable burden to our household finances at the time, and was emotionally challenging to myself and my family on occasions, the rewards have been well worth the sacrifice. I am now working as a registered nurse in a rural hospital and will shortly become a midwife. I feel I am fulfilling an ambition that was sparked on clinical placement at Charleville Hospital at the very start of my career.'
Robert (USQ Bachelor of Nursing Graduate)
Listen to more USQ students and graduates talk about their rural or remote clinical placement experiences.
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* Donations to the University of Southern Queensland are tax deductible under Section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 for Australian taxpayers and the university will issue a receipt for each contribution made.