Training the aged care workforce of the future
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The Salvation Army has just signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Tasmania that allows Aged Care Plus to provide a positive platform for future health care professionals to learn and experience aged care and the mission of The Salvation Army.
Eighteen nursing students in their final year of study have been working alongside Aged Care Plus Registered Nurses at five centres to gain experience in aged care and mental health. Under the agreement, paramedic students will also be placed in Aged Care Plus centres.
At a time when the aged care workforce is shrinking, Aged Care Plus is investing in partnerships with major Australian universities to provide hands-on training for the new generation of allied health professionals. This is a long-term investment expected to deliver a more informed and skilled workforce for the future.
Associate Professor at the University of Tasmania’s School of Nursing and Midwifery and School of Medicine, Julienne Onley, says the university is proud to have a mutually beneficial agreement with The Salvation Army Aged Care Plus as it provides students with opportunities to obtain relevant clinical experience.
“They learn at first hand that health care is not just about acute care being delivered in large hospitals, or about trauma and injury,” she says.
“The care provided in residential aged care facilities, including for those with the challenges of memory loss or behavioural difficulties, is part of the ‘real world’ that students of nursing and paramedic practice must learn about and experience.”
University of Tasmania nursing student Lina Belalcazar had never considered a career in aged care until she undertook our first four-week training placement at Macquarie Lodge Aged Care Plus Centre.
“We got to do clinical work like taking blood pressures and blood sugar levels of the residents,” she said. “We did behavioural management assessment, pain assessments, dressings and we worked on trying to manage challenging behaviours. It was great to learn from the carers and nurses who trained and supported us.
Now, working with the elderly is Lina’s passion and she has plans to develop a career in the aged care industry. “I really liked working with the older people,” she said.
“It was a really good experience, the staff were helpful and I could see the commitment that they have to taking care of the residents.”
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